Judge, Jury, and Executioner
by SwordsMaster231
Summary: The future of Ash Ketchum suddenly doesn't seem so bright, when in a shocking turn of events, he loses the only family he has left: his mother. And it seems that Ash is the one to blame!
1. Pre-Prologue

**Alright, so I decided to try my hand at Pokemon. Let's see how far this thing can go. I obviously couldn't fit all of this into the summary, so I just made a short summary of my own. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Ash is taken into custody and questioned on his motives. There it is revealed that there may be more to this crime than meets the eye. Cynthia Shirona, being a good friend of Ash, decided to help him however she can, but will her past come back to haunt her? How will she handle the dangers in which she has unintentionally placed herself? Who is this strange man who seemingly appears from nowhere? Is he friend or foe? Find out all this and more in: **Judge, Jury, and Executioner.**


	2. Prologue

Okay, so this first part is a little confusing. **Bold is one person.** Regular font is another. I'm doing this to keep anonymity for a few sentences, so you won't know right away who's talking. I think it's pretty clever. :) Anyway, on to this disclaimer.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, nor will I ever, own Pokemon or any of it's characters. I do, however, own my OC. **  
**

* * *

" **How long has he been here?"**

"Three weeks."

" **And he still hasn't said anything?"**

"No. Nothing but mumbling to himself."

" **Why hasn't he had a trial yet?"**

"While the majority of the evidence is against him, I know this boy. He would never kill if he could help it."

" **So you're saying he was framed?"**

"I'm saying that it is more unlikely that this boy killed his own mother than it is that the Earth will get closer to the Sun."

" **You can't save him, Charles. The people want him brought to justice, even if he didn't actually kill anyone."**

"Just you wait, Lance. I'll find the man who did this to Ash, and when I do, he is going to wish he had never been born."

* * *

 **23 days earlier…**

"I…I can't believe it." Ash whispered. "I'm finally the Kanto League Champion!"

At long last, our main hero has achieved his goal of becoming a Pokemon Master. At the young age of sixteen, he broke the record for the youngest League Champion, which had been set at the age of seventeen by Cynthia Shirona when she took the title in Sinnoh. It was a long, hard battle but Ash pulled through even against the might of Lance's Dragon type Pokemon.

"We did it, Pikachu!" Ash yelled, crushing his best friend in a hug.

"Pika pika!" He responded, just as excited as his trainer.

The battle had started simply enough with Ash's Pikachu taking down Lance's Gyarados in a matter of seconds, but Ash was caught off-guard by the evolved form of a Sinnoh inhabitant: Garchomp. Pikachu didn't stand a chance against the Dragon/Ground type Pokemon and was quickly defeated. In retaliation, Aash sent out his Sceptile. Sceptile certainly wasn't the strongest in Ash's arsenal, but he put up plenty of resistance, resulting in a double knockout of himself and Garchomp. The next match up between Lance's Altaria and Ash's Muk lasted well over five minutes, both of the Pokemon being well-versed in evasive moves and status effects. Eventually, Altaria just couldn't escape the toxic fumes and ended up fainting soon after, leaving Muk raring to go and with plenty of energy. However, the appearance of Lance's Charizard quickly turned the tables on Ash, resulting in an almost instant knockout of the poor Poison type Pokemon.

In response, of course, Ash realeased his own Charizard. The two dragons locked eyes and nothing else mattered. Their trainers couldn't get a word in edgewise, simply watching from the sidelines as flames scorched the ground, lit up the sky, and creating jet black smoke as a result. When the smoke cleared, it was shown that while both had fought fiercely, neither could gain the advantage, resulting in yet another double knockout. Lance released a rather fearsome dragon known as Salamence, while Ash retaliated with his bulky Snorlax. It had been rumored that Lance's final Pokemon, Dragonite, was undefeated. Therefore, Ash kept his last remaining Pokemon as his ace-in-the-hole. After several minutes of Salamence attempting to bring down Snorlax with everything from Flamethrowers to Draco Meteor, it was clear that the Normal type had more than enough health to tank the blasts. Although Snorlax won out in the end, the attacks had taken their toll on his stamina, and it was clear that he was exhausted.

Thus it was no surprise when Dragonite made quick work of Snorlax, narrowing it down to the final match up. One on one.

"I know you're still a bit young," Ash whispered to the Poke ball he was holding, "but I trust you and I know we can do this."

With a nervous smile and a flick of his wrist, Ash released his final Pokemon. The white light blinded the audience as well as Lance, and when they could see again, the Pokemon opposite Dragonite was none other than a Lapras. While swift in the water, it is considerably slower on dry land. Lance obviously knew this and used it to his advantage, telling Dragonite to instantly go on the offensive. Lightning crackled around Dragonite's fist as it flew at high speeds towards Lapras, planning to end Ash's run in one blow. Ash, however, wasn't about to give up. He had gotten this far, he couldn't lose now! It was with this thought in mind as he clenched his fist and executed his plan.

"Lapras, Confuse Ray!" Ash shouted.

Mere moments before contact, Lapras emitted a blinding, strobe-like orb from her mouth. With no time to dodge, Dragonite ran straight into the orb and instantly became disoriented, halting his attack mid-swing. Lance's Pokemon was completely exposed! Ash knew this was his chance and wasted no time in shouting out the next attack.

"Lapras, finish with Blizzard!" He called triumphantly.

Meanwhile, Lance knew there was nothing he could do except watch helplessly as his dragon fell to the ground, defeated. Not even the strongest Pokemon can shake off confusion in a matter of seconds.

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" The referee yelled, holding up a green flag and signaling victory to that trainer. "The winner and new Kanto League Champion is Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd went wild. Ash was jumping for joy, hugging his best friend and celebrating his victory as Lance walked across the field. Sure, his pride had been hurt- maybe more than he liked to admit- but Ash was a magnificent trainer and he could only smile at the thought that the young man he knew to be a great person and friend, to people and Pokemon alike, was now the new Champion.

"That was a great battle, Ash." Lance spoke with a straight face, his voice deep and intimidating.

Ash turned to see the owner of the voice, slightly worried for a second that Lance was angry with him. However, the elder trainer smiled and chuckled, shaking Ash's hand.

"I'm sure you'll do magnificently as the new Champion." Lance finished.

Ash smiled and laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, well… I think I'm gonna go home first. My mom will probably want to hear all about it." Lance's face faltered slightly but he simply nodded at Ash, turning and walking away without another word. Ash was perplexed by his actions before simply shrugging and smiling at the small, yellow Pokemon on his shoulder.

"Come on, Pikachu, we have a trophy to collect." He said happily.


	3. Loss

**WARNING: GRAPHIC DEATH AHEAD.**

* * *

 **2 days after Ash's victory…**

"Just wait until Mom finds out, Pikachu!" Ash said excitedly as he walked down Route One.

"Pikapi chu, pika!" Pikachu chattered excitedly.

After being awarded a trophy and a place in the Hall of Fame, Ash decided it was high time he visited his mother again. It had been so long since he last saw her- practically two years- and he missed her. With the help of the Elite Four, Ash had successfully avoided the paparazzi, who were currently halfway across the region after having been given false information on the whereabouts of the new Kanto Champion. Ash couldn't have been happier… and that's when he saw it. The sun was just starting to go down, and at first that's why he thought the sky looked so orange, but he soon realized that was not the case.

Not far down the road, a single house stood among the trees and flowers and Ash would have considered the sight beautiful if it weren't for one, crucial factor. His house was on fire! Panic gripped Ash as he took off in a sprint, reaching his house as quickly as he could. He kicked down the front door, covering his face for a moment as the flames flared larger. He gritted his teeth and dove through the fire, running through the house in search of his mother. He could only hope she had gotten out before the fire started.

"Mom! Mom, where are you?!" He called hysterically, searching every room.

Eventually, there was only room he had left unchecked: his old room. He had to move into a bigger room across the hall several years ago as he had gotten too big for his own bed. Despite the raging inferno, he opened the door with no small amount of trepidation. When the door fully opened, he fell to his knees and nearly emptied the contents of his stomach. There, lying in the middle of the floor, was his mother's lifeless body. She had numerous gashes which were still bleeding profusely and she was badly burned due to the fire. The murder weapon- a simple kitchen knife- was embedded in her chest, the handle sticking out towards Ash. He slowly started sobbing uncontrollably, crawling towards his mother as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

He took a deep, gasping breath, steeling himself before he suddenly ripped the blade from her chest and threw the vile object across the room. He hugged her body to his own, not caring that her blood soaked his clothes or that the smoke was slowly sucking the clean air from the room. Pikachu wasn't in a much better state than his trainer, openly crying on the young man's shoulders as he gazed down into Delia's lifeless eyes. Ash just sat there, rocking back and forth, crying and begging for her to come back. Only when he heard the sirens could he bring himself to stand up. The entire house was now extremely un- structurally sound and would probably collapse at any moment. With one last, sad look at his mother, he ran out of his room and towards the stairs.

He hadn't taken one step when they all collapsed in a heap of embers. He was now marooned on the second floor. Suddenly, he whipped around and sprinted back to his room. He could get out through the window! He could feel the fire getting hotter and he knew he only had a matter of seconds before the whole house came crashing down on top of him. With no time to spare, he grabbed Pikachu off of his shoulder and dove head first out the window, shattering the glass in the process. He tucked and rolled as he hit the ground, taking most of the impact. He let Pikachu out of his arms and pulled himself to his feet. He looked on wistfully as the only home he had ever known collapsed, consumed by the flames. He turned as he heard the sirens approaching and he could see lights flashing down the road. From their perspective, this would not look good. He couldn't run…not that he would get very far anyway. But he knew there was one thing he could do.

"Pikachu, I need you to do something for me, buddy." He started as he knelt next to his first Pokemon.

"Pika pikapi?" He questioned, tilting his head in confusion.

"The authorities will probably blame me for all this." He explained, waving his hand at the now burned down house. "And I don't want you to get hurt because of me…"

Ash smiled sadly down at Pikachu and took a deep breath. His friend was not going to like this.

"I'm releasing you, Pikachu. You're free again." Ash said.

He was surprised when he felt another tear slide down his cheek. He thought he had cried himself dry when he saw what was left of his mother.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. "Pika chu pika pikapi!"

Pikachu grabbed his trainer's jeans and pulled hard, tears threatening to escape his eyes again all too soon.

"You can't stay with me, Pikachu!" Ash argued, stepping away slightly. "You're strong enough to take care of yourself now… You don't need me. Go, before the police can catch you!"

Pikachu followed his trainer and tried jumping onto his shoulder, but Ash had already turned away. He stepped back quickly and undid the belt that held the rest of his Pokemon. He tossed them to the ground in front of Pikachu and looked on sadly as Pikachu cried again.

"Don't be sad, Pikachu. We'll be together again someday, but right now I need you to leave and take the others with you. Don't try to follow me!" He yelled out the last few words.

Before Pikachu could argue again, Ash spun around and sprinted down the road towards the police cars. They skidded to a stop in front of him as five police officers got out of their cars and pointed their guns at him.

"Put your hands behind your head and get on the ground!" One of them yelled.

Ash complied, lying on the ground as one of them approached and restrained him with handcuffs. He was pulled roughly to his feet as he was led towards the police cruiser, looking back over his shoulder at what remained of his house. He turned back around and smiled as he realized one thing… The yard had been empty.


	4. Control

Control

 **Present day…**

"Hello there, Ash." Lance greeted him as he stepped into the room.

There was a psychiatrist as well as the local Officer Jenny standing just outside the room, watching through the one way mirror. Lance took a seat across from Ash and he frowned when he heard Ash mumbling to himself, seemingly oblivious to the fact that someone else was in the room with him.

"I would first like to ask you why you think you're here." Lance started.

At this, Ash stopped mumbling and his eyes shot up to meet the older man's.

"I didn't kill her." Ash said darkly, glaring coldly at him.

"That is not what I asked you, Ash." Lance said calmly.

"You asked me why I was here. You all really think I would stoop to killing the only family I had left? I expected better from you." Ash growled.

"You were there when it happened, Ash." Lance said with a sigh, leaning forward and entwining his hands together as he leaned his chin against them.

"Your fingerprints were all over the murder weapon. You had the means and the opportunity-"

"Oh yeah? What about a motive? Did you think about that?" Ash cut in with a sneer.

Lance narrowed his eyes for a moment before he continued.

"All we want to know is why you did it." He finished.

"Are you deaf?!" Ash said loudly. "I didn't kill her!"

"Did you have help?" Lance asked, obviously not convinced.

Ash gritted his teeth together, pulling at his cuffs in anger as fire burned in his eyes.

"You're not listening to me…" Ash whispered dangerously. "I was on my way home when I saw that it was on fire. My fingerprints are on the weapon because I PULLED IT OUT OF MY MOTHER'S CHEST!"

He screamed across the table, trying as best he could to get it through Lance's thick skull that he hadn't killed his own mother. When Lance showed no reaction, however, Ash sighed in defeat and slumped back in his chair.

"You knew where I was going and when, and you _**still**_ think I did it?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't know what to think, Ash." Lance responded calmly. "For all I know, after I you left, you could have flown home on your Charizard, set fire to the house, and turned back around to continue your journey on foot so nobody would get suspicious. And then you got rid of the evidence by releasing your Pokemon… That was smart of you, but you were not smart enough to wear gloves when you decided to kill her."

Ash nearly leaped out of his seat in outrage, the cuffs painfully reminding him that he was restrained. Lance stared coolly up at him while Ash simply glared and sat back down.

"I'll say it a million times if I have to. I- did- not- kill- my- mother!" He said slowly and deliberately.

"We have eye witnesses, Ash, several of which who live on the very same road. They said that they didn't see anyone go near your house except for you, and that's a _**very**_ big piece of evidence that can condemn you."

Ash snorted derisively and chuckled sourly.

"Did it ever occur to you that- oh, I don't know- maybe they couldn't be watching the road every single second that day?" Ash asked pointedly.

"Somebody could have easily made their way there at _**any**_ given point without being noticed. Pallet is not a big town, it wouldn't be difficult to sneak around without being seen. Or maybe they could have lied, or were paid off by whoever did it."

"What reason would they have to lie, Ash?" Lance asked, obviously ignoring the majority of what Ash had said first.

He grunted, knowing it had been written down by whoever was watching. He didn't need to worry about that.

"The same reason you or I would: fear. The man or woman who did this could have threatened that he or she would do the same to those families if they didn't keep quiet about what they saw." Ash explained.

"Well, since you seem convinced that your mother's death was obviously the work of somebody else, would you mind telling us the names of anyone who might have had a bad history with you or your mother?" Lance asked.

"Giovanni," Ash said immediately, "the former leader of Team Rocket."

"We thought you might say that." Lance admitted, pulling out a small folder and placing it on the table. He opened it to a certain page and slid it across the table towards Ash.

"I looked into him already and he has a rock solid alibi." Lance continued as Ash began to read what was in the file.

"The Blackthorn City Gym's cameras caught him and some of his grunts snooping around the night before your house was burned down. We have more than 24 hours of video, proving he was there long enough that it was physically impossible for him to have killed your mother. Now, is there anyone else?" Lance asked.

Ash sighed in frustration, laying the file back down on the table. There was no doubt about it, the evidence was all right there in front of him. Eventually, Ash just shook his head in defeat. There was nobody else he knew that would kill another human being.

"No. There's nobody else." He said quietly, solemnly bowing his head.

"Then it's settled." Lance said suddenly, grabbing the folder and standing up from his chair. "Your trial will be held in six days."

As he walked towards the door, however, he hesitated for a moment and looked back over his shoulder at the saddened young man.

"I don't believe you would kill anyone, Ash," Lance said softly, "but unless there is evidence otherwise, my belief could very well be wrong."

He left the room without another word, leaving Ash to his mutterings once again. He sighed as he gently closed the door, plopping the folder down on a nearby table and leaning against the wall.

"What do you think, doc?" Lance asked.

The psychiatrist glared at him for a moment before adjusting his glasses and responding.

"That's Dr. Smithe to you, Mr. Lance." He responded professionally.

Lance just shrugged and sighed again, staring at him pointedly. The doctor cleared his throat, loosening his tie as he looked down at the notes he had scribbled down on his clipboard.

"Mr. Ketchum made some very valid points." He admitted, flipping the page over and reading some more writing. "From what I can tell, he wasn't lying."

"But you can't be sure." Lance added.

The doctor sighed and nodded.

"Without a polygraph, I can't be sure of anything." He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly for a moment, placing them back on his face before staring at the previous Champion.

"I advise you to be cautious, Mr. Lance. This young man has just been through a traumatic experience. Condemning him in court might be harder than you think." He explained.

"Right now, all the leads we have point in the direction that Ash is responsible for his mother's death." Lance pointed out, aggravation clear in his voice as he sighed again.

"I'm just as skeptical as you are, but without counter-evidence, I'm afraid he doesn't have much of a chance."

The doctor frowned but didn't say anything, simply nodding at Lance before leaving the room. Lance was silent for several, long moments before heading for the door himself.

"I want a guard posted 24/7." He said as he passed Officer Jenny.

She gave him a salute as he opened the door. He paused in the doorway, however, and said one last thing over his shoulder.

"Oh, and don't let anyone speak to the pris- er, I mean Ash- without my permission."


	5. Regret

Chapter 3 Pokemon

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Samuel Oak asked his grandson.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Gary let out a sigh as they waked through the front doors of the police station.

"For the last time, gramps, yes." He said assertively.

"Ash might not want to see anybody right now." The professor argued. "After all, he did just lose his mother-"

"Exactly." Gary cut in, pausing for a moment to give their names to the desk attendant. "He needs us now more than ever. That's why I called up Misty, Brock and a few other people that could cheer him up."

The professor looked at his grandson quizzically.

"But aren't you and Ash rivals?"

Gary rolled his eyes and sighed again, following the police officer to where Ash was being held.

"That was a long time ago, gramps, and despite that rivalry, Ash and I are close friends." He explained with a smile.

The professor just nodded slowly and smiled at his grandson. Silence fell between them as the pair walked behind their escort, winding through the long hallways before finally reaching the final stretch. What they saw, however, confused them. There was a rather angry looking redhead standing at the door they assumed led to Ash and she was yelling at the guards.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SEE HIM?!" She shouted.

At first Gary was amused, shaking his head and chuckling as the guards looked back and forth at each other nervously. When he processed her words, however, he became concerned.

"I'm sorry…uh…ma'am," one of the guards said tentatively, "but we've been given specific orders to not let anyone in."

"BY WHO?!" She questioned.

At that point, Gary cleared his throat and made his presence known. The redhead's attention snapped to him and his grandfather, who was standing a little farther back with his arms crossed, and her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a huff.

Gary smirked and responded.

"In case you forgot, Misty, I was the one who called you."

She just rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Whatever." She mumbled.

"Now what seems to be the problem here?" Gary directed his questions at the guards, taking a much more professional tone.

"Our orders are to-" the same guard from before started, but Gary interrupted him.

"Yeah, I heard that part, and like my…friend over here, I'd like to know who gave you those orders." He said pointedly.

Misty glared dubiously at him when he hesitated to say the word 'friend' but she let it slide, knowing he was just trying to get under her skin.

"That's classified." The guard responded.

Gary narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me? I'm Gary Oak. This is my grandfather, Professor Samuel Oak. Our companion is Miss Misty Waterflower, Leader of the Cerulean City Gym now tell me-"

He paused, stepping closer to the guard and leaning over him, his height giving him an appearance of intimidation as he spoke his next words.

"Who gave you those orders?"

"I did." A deep voice spoke.

All three visitors turned to see none other than the previous Champion of the Kanto Region, Lance. Gary kept his eyes narrowed and ground his teeth together, taking several long strides towards the dragon-tamer before stopping right in front of him.

"You want to run that one by me again?" Gary asked coldly. "Because it just sounded like you said that you gave those guards orders to not let us in."

"That's right." Lance responded coolly. "Nobody is allowed in there without my permission."

"Who put _**you**_ in charge?" Gary spat.

Lance narrowed his eyes.

"I'm the leader of the Elite Four-"

"Previous leader." Gary cut in smugly.

Lance just narrowed his eyes and continued.

"I'm the one with the highest qualifications around here, so I make the rules."

"If I might interject…" Professor Oak said suddenly, knowing Gary wasn't too happy about Lance's last comment.

He slowly pulled his grandson away from the older man, giving him a stern look before speaking directly to Lance.

"Seeing as we are the closest things Ash has left to a family, I believe we should make the decisions." He said.

Lance pondered this for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Professor, I really am. I hold the highest respect for you and your line of work but I'm afraid my decision is final." Lance responded with a straight face.

There was silence in the hallway for several long moments before a chillingly soft voice spoke up.

"How _**dare**_ you?" Misty asked through gritted teeth, fury burning in her eyes as she lunged at Lance and grabbed his collar roughly.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" She screamed, attempting to lift him off the ground.

He proved to be too heavy, so she settled for just pulling on his collar as she yelled at him.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ IN HERE, ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY, AND TELL US WE CAN'T SEE OUR BEST FRIEND?! WELL, I'VE GOT A NEWS FLASH FOR YOU, BUDDY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP ME FROM VISITING ASH THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ARREST ME!"

Misty finally settled down, letting herself cool off as she took several deep, calming breaths. She stepped away from Lance and he cleared his throat, straightening out his collar for a moment before responding.

"I'm not going to arrest you," he responded, "but I won't hesitate to have the guards restrain you."

Lance sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Look… I know you all are worried about Ash. I am too. But for now, it's better that he doesn't see anyone-"

"How can you say that?!" Gary interjected angrily. "You've seen him for the last month, you _**know**_ what he's going through! He _**needs**_ us!"

"He's a convicted felon!" Lance retorted harshly.

Gary ground his teeth together and growled at him while Misty was hardly restraining herself from jumping him again. The professor, too, looked hurt, but it was he who responded first.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked quietly.

Lance looked around at the accusing faces but he didn't falter.

"There is no evidence that says otherwise." He said flatly.

The professor frowned and just shook his head, walking past the former champion and back down the hall.

"I hope you're proud of yourself, _**Champion**_ ," Gary drawled sarcastically, barely refusing the urge to spit at him, "because you just condemned an innocent man."

Lance stared straight ahead as the young man purposefully shoved past him, displaying his anger the only way he knew how without physically attacking the older man. The hallway was silent for several, long moments and Lance waited patiently as Misty simply stared at her feet. When she looked up at him, he didn't see anger burning there. Instead, her eyes were cold as ice and barely concealed a deep-rooted hatred.

"I used to look up to you." She admitted, her voice eerily calm. "Now I see you for what you really are: a sorry, disgusting excuse of a man who only cares about himself and how much glory he can obtain."

She walked towards him until she was barely a foot away, and stared up into his eyes without blinking.

"You'll regret this." She said menacingly before she, too, took off down the hall.

The guards had been silent throughout the whole exchange, watching as the former Champion stood in silence. Finally, his shoulders slumped forward and he seemed to age ten years in an instant.

"Sir, are you alright?" One of the guards asked as he approached the door.

Lance didn't respond as he opened the door and walked inside, shutting it slowly behind him. He dropped into the chair and gazed tiredly at the young man cuffed to his chair. Lance's frown deepened when he saw that Ash had not eaten the food that had been provided for him. Lance just shook his head and slowly reached over towards the pile of evidence that had been strewn across the table. He sat there for hours on end, studying every detail, reading the same pages over and over again. The minutes turned into hours, and the hours slowly turned the night into day. It was only when Lance looked up from his work did he realize he had been awake for a full twenty four hours. He rubbed his eyes, dark circles having formed under them and he let out a defeated sigh.

"What am I missing?" He asked himself desperately, letting his arms fall to his sides.

He looked around the nearly empty room, just letting his eyes and his mind wander. Finally, he stood up from his chair and slowly shuffled towards the door. Before he left, however, he looked back over his shoulder and gazed sorrowfully at the young man that had fallen asleep hours ago.

"I'm sorry, Ash." He whispered.


	6. Confusion

Confusion

* * *

Cynthia Shirona would not consider herself to be a very patient woman. So it was with a deep sigh of relief when she finally saw the outline of Pewter City, home to the chronologically first Gym a trainer would have to visit on their adventure towards the Hall of Fame. She had flown into Kanto on a plane bound from Sinnoh, her homeland, on a rather urgent call that required her immediate attention. Although the problem had been introduced to her in the form of Gary Oak calling her about a specific Kanto Champion, she knew better than to assume everything was well and good with the young man. Ash Ketchum. Though she had only met him a handful of times during his rise to fame, she had come to think of him as a very nice, caring young man and one of her closest friends. In fact, she rather liked the idea that he was the closest thing to a brother she ever had. Well, that is except for… She shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts.

' _The past is the past,_ ' she reminded herself in her head, _'You've got to learn to let it go.'_

When she first arrived at the hospital, pulling up in the car she had rented for her trip, everything had seemed perfectly normal. The Pidgeys were chirping merrily, the Ledybas and Butterfrees were buzzing busily, and it seemed like a very peaceful day. That is, until a certain redhead burst through the front doors ranting loudly.

"I mean, does he _**really**_ expect us to just sit by and do nothing?! Ugh! It makes me sick!" She said through gritted teeth.

Cynthia couldn't stop a smile from spreading over her features. Even though she knew Misty's temper was easily ignited, and not a sign of anything good, it was still amusing and a clear sign of her…passionate personality. She laughed out loud at her own thoughts, garnering the attention of the younger girl. Upon seeing the older, blonde woman, Misty's anger was instantly replaced by surprise.

"Cynthia!" She called out, walking over towards her with a perplexed look. "What are you doing here?"

"I called her." Came a voice from the doorway.

Misty turned about to once again see a very miffed Gary Oak and a none-too-pleased Samuel Oak.

"You did?" Misty asked, looking back and forth between them. "How did you even get her number?"

"You can thank Ash for that." Cynthia finally spoke, stepping forward and hugging Misty lightly. "It's good to see you all again."

Misty was shocked for yet another moment before returning the hug, stepping away slightly as the two men walked over.

"It's good to see you too." Misty replied with a slight smile, which quickly turned into a frown when she remembered what she had been ranting about not sixty seconds ago.

"Oh, that reminds me! I'm glad you're here, because Lance is being a huge p-"

"Pain in the lower back!" Gary finished loudly, effectively cutting Misty off.

The redhead glared at him while Cynthia simply glanced at him quizzically.

"Lance is here?" She asked. "I would have assumed he would be on vacation."

"He might as well be." Gary grunted nastily. "He's enjoying it just as much."

Cynthia creased her forehead in confusion, looking around at their solemn faces.

"I don't understand… why is Lance being here a bad thing?" She asked.

"That's right, you just got here…" Gary said with a snap of his fingers and a sigh. "Let me just fill you in on what you've missed."

The quartet found a nearby table outside and sat around it. Misty, Gary and the Professor told Cynthia everything they knew about the situation from start to finish. When they were done, Cynthia stood from her spot and started pacing, she, too, ranting angrily.

"That's absurd!" She said loudly, clenching her hands into fists. "Lance obviously knows what kind of man Ash is! He would never do anything of the sort!"

She snorted derisively, pausing for a moment.

"Oh, but _**of course**_ all the evidence points to him, doesn't it? Ash is the only possible solution. What kind of _**idiot**_ would you have to be to even _**remotely**_ believe _**any**_ of that?!" She asked no one in particular.

"That's what we've been asking ourselves for the past hour." Gary cut in, sighing and running his hand through his hair.

"Look just…cool down, okay? I've already had enough of Misty's griping for one day, I don't need yours too."

Cynthia glared daggers at him, to which he just shrugged nonchalantly, so she took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, letting the anger flow out of her as she slowly sat down again.

"There now…better?" He asked with a smirk.

"No." she responded instantly and vehemently. "But I know being angry at Lance won't fix anything. We have to find a way to talk to Ash."

"And how do you suppose we do that, huh?" Misty cut in, clearly still frustrated from earlier. "With Lance apparently 'in charge', we can't do anything!"

"But now he isn't the highest authority anymore." Cynthia suddenly realized.

Misty looked at Gary, confused, but he simply stared back with the same expression.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked, turning back to Cynthia.

"I mean now that an _**official**_ Champion of a region is here," she smiled, pointing to herself, "I can effectively overrule his authority."

A wide smile instantly split across Misty's face and she leapt from her chair.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" She said excitedly.

Cynthia chuckled slightly and stood up less energetically.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to pull that card, but it appears I have no choice." She said regretfully, narrowing her eyes. "I'll have to have a few words with Lance, but first we need to get to Ash. Where is he being held?"

"Follow me." Gary said suddenly, a steely look in his eyes as he stood and strode confidently through the front doors.

The girls glanced at each other for only a moment before following him. The professor, meanwhile, shook his head with a sigh and stood up much more slowly.

"I'm getting too old for this." He grumbled to himself.

Inside the hospital, much of the staff and even some of the patients were gasping, whispering, and pointing at the spectacle before them.

"Is that the Sinnoh Champion?" One whispered.

"What is she doing here?" Another asked.

They were ignored by the trio as they determinedly made their way through the twisting halls, once again coming up quickly on Ash's room. When they reached the final hallway, however, a familiar figure in a flowing cape was walking towards them. He looked exhausted, disheveled, and as if he hadn't gotten any sleep. Which, if they were bothered to ask, they would find true, but they were focused on something else. It took Lance a moment to fully register exactly who was walking towards him, and when he did, he stopped and grimaced.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked tiredly but loudly.

"Get out of the way, dragon-tamer, we're going to see Ash." Gary said in a commanding tone.

Lance gave a long sigh and shook his head.

"I thought I already told you-"

"Yeah, yeah, you're the highest authority." Misty interrupted dismissively. "But guess what? Not anymore."

Lance narrowed his eyes in confusion before realizing there was a third person with them. They locked eyes and he instantly scowled.

"Cynthia." He growled.

"Lance." She said plainly, inclining her head slightly in recognition. "I believe we have a right to see Ash."

Lance was quiet for a moment before chuckling dryly, looking between Misty and Gary.

"You really think bringing _**her**_ here was enough to override me?" He asked.

There was a moment of hesitation and a flicker of doubt in Gary's eyes and Lance chuckled again.

"Nice try, Oak, but I'm still in charge here."

"Says who?" Misty demanded.

"Says the Pokemon League." Lance answered immediately. "In the event that a champion is injured or incapacitated, the former champion reclaims the title until such a time that the current champion can or wishes to return. If the new champion, regrettably, passes during this time or is otherwise 'preoccupied', then the position of champion is officially re-instated to the former Champion. That's me."

Misty clamped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes at him. Gary just growled through gritted teeth while Lance just chuckled again.

"What about you, Shirona? Do you have anything you'd like to add?" Lance asked confidently.

She thought for only a moment before responding.

"As a matter of fact, yes." She responded. "Do you have the paperwork?"

"Excuse me?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"The paperwork." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Surely there is a printed document that verifies what you're saying is true?"

"Well, yes…"

"And where is it?"

Lance grimaced once again and mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?" Cythia asked with a smirk, knowing she had him right where she wanted him.

"I don't have it with me." He said more clearly.

"That's what I thought." She said, giving Lance a sickeningly sweet smile as she strutted past him. "Oh, and I'll be having these two as my escorts." Cynthia said over her shoulder, referring to Misty and Gary.

The duo watched with open mouths during this whole exchange, shocked as Lance simply grimaced once more and took off down the hallway towards parts unknown. Gary was the first to regain his composure and spoke.

"Cynthia, remind me never to make you angry." He said with a small smile.

She simply winked at him, glancing worriedly over at Misty, who was still in shock.

"Umm…is she okay?" Cynthia asked.

"Oh yeah, she'll be fine." Gary said, waving a hand dismissively.

Suddenly, there was a loud _**CRASH**_ from down the hall, followed by a long list of expletives and very faint apologizing. Cynthia and Gary watched curiously as a familiar face stepped around the corner and walked towards them.

"Geez, who put ants in his salad?" The new person asked.

Gary smiled, clapping the slightly older and taller man on the shoulder.

"Nice to see you too, Brock, and the answer to your question is standing right there." He responded pointing to Cynthia.

To Brock's credit, he didn't immediately get a bloody nose. That trend had died out years ago. However, he, too, noticed Misty's non-responsiveness.

"Is she-?" He started.

"Cranky? Yes. She'll be fine too, by the way." Gary said, making what he considered to be a joke. "She just wanted the chance to rip Lance a new one and Cynthia here beat her to it."

"Okay, why is everyone so mad at Lance?" Brock asked, confused.

Ten minutes later, Brock was also mad, Misty had snapped out of her reverie, and Cynthia had suggested that they probably didn't have much time until Lance actually came back with the paperwork.

"Let's get to it, then." Gary said, pausing briefly before opening the door that led to Ash.


	7. Helplessness

Helpless

The quartet quickly entered the room and closed the door behind them, locking it from the inside.

"You do realize that won't hold someone trying to break down the door, right?" Gary pointed out.

"It should slow them down." Cynthia said, nodding appreciatively as Brock locked the door.

"Oh no…" Misty whispered.

The group turned at this, wondering what was wrong, but the questions died on their lips. Not a single word was spoken as they gathered behind the glass, gazing at the young man they had come to see, except…he didn't look like himself. Gone was the cheerful, happy, oblivious trainer they all knew and loved. In his place sat an empty husk of his former self, devoid of any and all emotions except pain and despair. It was clear in his posture. He was defeated, alone…helpless. The shock wore off quickly for Misty and she reached for the door.

"Wait." Cynthia said suddenly, grabbing Misty's wrist and stopping her from entering the smaller room.

For a moment, it seemed as though Misty would yell at Cynthia but she simply glared and clenched her hand around the doorknob.

"Why should I? We've waited long enough!" Misty argued.

"I understand that," Cynthia said much more softly, "But if we…expose…Ash to anything too suddenly, he might not respond at all. We must be cautious."

Misty calmed down at her reasonable words and nodded, letting go of the doorknob and taking a step back with her arms crossed.

"So what do we do now?" Brock asked, worry clear in his voice.

The group glanced around at each other, unsure of their course of action. Suddenly, Cynthia spoke up.

"We need to speak to Ash but we need someone who is level-headed, empathetic, and prepared for anything he might say…"

Cynthia slowly stopped talking as she realized all eyes were on her. She looked around for a moment, confused, before it dawned on her.

"Me?" She asked softly.

"You are the logical choice. After all, you got us in here." Gary pointed out.

"You have all the traits you mentioned one should have when speaking to Ash." Brock added.

"But is she really the right person for this?" Misty cut in, voicing her doubts.

At that moment all the attention turned to her, and she would have been self-conscious if she weren't so concerned.

"I mean, Gary, Brock, and I have known Ash for years. He's our best friend." She explained to Cynthia. "Compared to us, you hardly know him… you don't know him like I do."

Cynthia gazed at Misty sympathetically as she tried to hide the sadness in her voice, wrapping herself in a hug in an attempt to cheer herself up.

"You don't know him…" She repeated quietly, a tear dripping down her cheek.

"I understand your concern." Cynthia said softly, stepping towards the younger girl and placing her hands on Misty's shoulders.

"You just want what's best for Ash and I admire that. Right now, I'm what's best. I may not know him that well but… I know him well enough. I promise, I'll tell him you're here."

She paused for a moment, speaking collectively to the group.

"I'll tell him that you're all here for him. That should get him talking at least."

Gary sighed and ran a hand through his hair while Brock just nodded solemnly.

"I hope you're right." Gary said quietly.

Cynthia nodded her acknowledgement and turned back to Misty, stepping away from her and awaiting her response. The redhead sniffled for a moment, rubbing her eyes and nose before responding.

"Fine, but you'd better not tell him I was crying." She said with a half-hearted chuckle.

Cynthia smiled, glad to know Misty was becoming herself again already. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, stepping towards the door and hesitating for only a moment before stepping inside. The moment she closed that door behind her, she felt isolated. It was just her and Ash. Ash and her. She could do this. She took another deep breath to calm her nerves and stepped forward, fully aware of the gazes of her companions on her every move as she sat in the chair opposite Ash. He had yet to acknowledge her presence or that anything had changed. She waited another moment before clearing her throat. He finally looked up at her, and when she saw the pain in his eyes, she had to consciously stop herself from leaping over the table and giving him a hug. She snapped herself out of her reverie, now noticing that Ash wore a weary, half-smile.

"Cynthia." He spoke but was immediately interrupted by a cough.

It sounded as if he hadn't spoken in days, his voice as coarse as sandpaper and not at all pleasant on the ears. But he was speaking, and Cynthia was glad for that at least.

"Long time no see." He responded, in a more normal voice this time.

Cynthia smiled and nodded at him.

"It has been a long time. It's good to see you, Ash."

He nodded in response, glancing over her shoulder at the one-way mirror behind her.

"Did anyone else come with you?" He asked.

"Oh yes!" She said excitedly before almost instantly calming herself down.

' _Cool and collected.'_ She thought to herself. _'He's talking, don't scare him off.'_

"I mean…yes." She replied much more calmly, which elicited a small chuckle from Ash.

"It's okay, Cynthia. You can be excited." He said, an ounce of humor in his voice.

Cynthia smiled and relaxed at this, giving him a nod before responding.

"Gary called me. He's here with his grandfather, Brock, and Misty." She explained.

"They're really all here?" He asked, happiness clear in his voice.

However, his face contorted in confusion as he thought for a moment.

"Wait…why aren't they in here?" He asked.

Cynthia swallowed a bit nervously.

"We didn't know who to send in first, so we voted. They all agreed it should be me." She said.

"Do I get a vote?" He asked, his tone almost hostile.

Cynthia could feel her heart beating a mile a minute but she kept her outward appearance neutral.

"Of course-" she started but was rudely interrupted by Ash.

"Then send in Misty! I want to see her!" He demanded.

Cynthia imagined Misty was extremely happy to hear that, and from the sound of the muffled voices and noises, they had stopped her from entering the room.

"Ash, I need you to calm down-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" He said loudly, attempting to stand up from his chair and once again being restrained by his cuffs.

He grunted in annoyance and sat back down, unaware of the mild panic that was quickly spiraling out of control in Cynthia's head. However, she refused to display that panic and instead chose to retain a calm appearance.

"I know you're hurting, Ash." She said loudly, making sure he heard her.

"Yeah right!" He scoffed derisively.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

"Trust me, I know what it's like to lose a family member."

Ash fell silent for a moment at this admission and simply grunted, turning his head away and staring at the wall.

"I can help you, Ash." Cynthia spoke more softly now. "You just have to let me."

Ash was silent for several minutes and Cynthia was beginning to think he had taken to just ignoring her. Eventually, however, he sighed and looked at her.

"Okay…fine. If I get to see Misty and the others, I'll let you do whatever you want." He said.

Cynthia sighed and leaned back in her chair. It wasn't exactly how she expected this conversation to go, but it was better than nothing. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together on the table in front of her and nodding at Ash.

"Very well then. Shall we begin?" She asked.

He just shrugged, grunting once more as he leaned back. Cynthia wondered where to begin.

' _I guess I should start with the elephant in the room.'_ She thought to herself.

"I know you didn't kill your own mother, Ash." She spoke suddenly.

If Ash was surprised by her words, he certainly didn't show it. His lack of response, however, did not deter Cynthia and she continued.

"I believe that it is highly likely that you were framed and I am here to help you, but to do that, I need information."

He let out a tired sigh before responding.

"I don't know any more than you do, Cynthia. I've been chained up in here for nearly a month and every day I racked my brain for suspects…with little to no results."

He paused, and had his hands been free, he would have run them through his hair in frustration. After a brief moment, he continued.

"I'm ashamed to say that I even started thinking about which of my friends might consider killing her."

Cynthia gazed at him for a long moment before responding.

"There must be someone…" She said, trailing off at his almost hateful look.

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked, although she knew it was a rhetorical question.

"Don't you think I've thought of every single possibility?" He asked, leaning across the table and gripping the edge with his cuffed hands as tightly as he could.

"Day and night the names of people I know, people I love, people I hate… all of them go through my head." His voice had taken an eerily soft tone to it as he spoke to her and she felt shivers travel down her spine.

"I have to sit through the pain of considering every single one of them just might be guilty. Now…you tell me how you think that feels." He finished, once again leaning back in his chair.

She hadn't expected him to be so calm. If anything, she had expected an outburst of emotion: anger or sadness mostly. She had even expected denial; that he wouldn't believe this was reality. But he was accepting and…almost cold in his response. Maybe it was his way of coping, denying himself those emotions so that he wouldn't be consumed by them. Cynthia could only guess at this point. She was ripped from her reverie as Ash let out another sigh, staring at the ceiling.

"You know, I've even started considering that maybe someone hypnotized me and made me do it." He said, chuckling humorlessly.

Cynthia remained silent, afraid that if she spoke she would elicit some sort of violent reaction.

"I would have no memory of who they were or what I had done." He stopped for a moment creasing his eyebrows and clenching his teeth together.

Suddenly, he slammed his hands down on the table.

"It's driving me insane!" He said loudly. "And I don't think I can hold out much longer."

Cynthia considered the fact that she might be in over her head. The sad part was that he was right. If somebody had gotten to him that way…there would be no way to tell. There would be zero evidence left behind for anyone to find, not even Ash himself. It almost seemed too easy…of course it was just a theory, generated by the- Cynthia assumed- almost unhinged mind of Ash himself, but it was still completely plausible. It couldn't have been random, though. It would have to be somebody with some type of connection to Ash. Then again, thousands, if not millions, of people envied Ash for his fame and fortune. It was quite possible an individual with that mindset would do whatever it took to rid Ash of everything he loved and cared about.

Many people knew just how powerful Ash was, due to his Champion status. Many would never stand a chance in defeating him with sheer brute force. That being said, they would use arguably the most effective method of destroying someone: attacking their mind. Cynthia decided it might be a good idea for Ash to have a cat-scan sometime in the near future. After all, his trial was only a few days away.

' _First things first.'_ She reminded herself, clearing her throat before responding.

"Listen, Ash, I have no idea what you're going through right now but let me assure you, I will do anything in my power to make sure this criminal- or whoever he is- is brought to justice." She said encouragingly.

Based on his earlier attitude, she expected another snide remark. Instead, she was surprised to find he was actually smiling at her with…was that gratitude?

"I know you care about me, Cynthia." He started simply.

"I know a lot of people do. However, I also know it's not going to be easy taking the high road. It never is. So for that…I thank you." He said sincerely.

Cynthia nodded and smiled back at him. Perhaps this would work out after all. Suddenly, she heard a loud banging and a voice demanding that a door be opened. She groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"Is that for you?" Ash asked smugly, chuckling at her.

She glared playfully at him, grateful that at least his humor was back.

"It's Lance. He wasn't letting anyone in here. I should probably go talk to him before he has us all arrested." She explained.

He nodded, seemingly unfazed.

"Good luck with that." Ash said.

Cynthia nodded appreciatively before heading for the door. If one thing could be said about Ash Ketchum, Cynthia thought it would be that he was the most emotionally strong young man she had ever met. And he wasn't helpless by any means. Then again, neither was she. She took a deep breath, put on a smile, and gently opened the door.

"Good evening gentlemen." She greeted the rather frazzled guards. "How can I help you?"


	8. Betrayal

Betrayal

' _We got lucky.'_ Cynthia thought to herself, sighing out loud a moment later.

She and her friends had each successfully visited Ash two days earlier. That is, Lance "allowed" them to. After the guards had broken down the door, Cynthia had convinced the dragon-tamer to let each of Ash's friends see him. However, it hadn't been easy…

 **(Flashback)**

" **Absolutely not!" Lance roared.** " **You think that after all you've put me through today and earlier this week that I'm going to just let you have your way?!"**

" **That's exactly what I think." Cynthia had said calmly. "And it wouldn't be hazardous to guess my friends think that as well.**

 **Lance snorted derisively and clenched his fists.**

" **Then you've got another thing coming, Shirona! I want all of you out of here! NOW!"**

 **The guards took a step forward, prepared to "escort" them off the premises. Cynthia narrowed her eyes and instantly held out a Poke' Ball. The guards froze in their tracks.**

" **Don't make me do this, Lance." She muttered threateningly.**

" **You wouldn't dare." He responded.**

" **I would." She said. "Or do you really want to test me that badly?"**

 **They stared each other down for more than a minute before Lance finally accepted defeat.**

" **Fine. Have it your way. You can have your visit, but after today, I don't want to see any more of you or your friends!"**

" **You won't." Cynthia said with a determined nod, returning the red and white sphere to her belt.**

 **(End Flashback)**

Truthfully, if it had escalated any further, Cynthia wouldn't have been able to do anything. She was bluffing. The Poke' Ball she used didn't even have a Pokemon in it. She had left them all in her car. But Lance didn't know that and obviously neither did anyone else. It was risky but it had worked. She knew her luck would fail at some point but until that time came, she would milk it for all it was worth.

"Are you ready Miss Shirona?" A male voice asked.

She shook herself out of her reverie, taking in her surroundings. That's right, she was at the hospital. The person who had spoken was the same psychologist who had "diagnosed" Ash a week or two ago. And as luck would have it, she had managed to sneak Ash out of his holding cell and had brought him here. She guessed that wouldn't last much longer, so time was of the essence.

"Of course," she responded, her mind still a bit clouded, "please, start the procedure."

The doctor nodded at her and spoke to Ash through a microphone.

"Alright Mr. Ketchum, we will begin your scheduled cat-scan in a moment. I ask that you refrain from any movement. If you do so, we will have to start the procedure all over again. However, you may speak as much as you wish. We will be able to hear you."

There was silence for a moment before he responded.

"Can talk, don't move. Got it." He replied, dry humor clear in his voice.

Cynthia smiled and chuckled slightly as the doctor pressed a series of buttons, activating the machine.

"Pardon me for asking, Miss-"

"Please, call me Cynthia." She interrupted the doctor with a smile.

He readjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.

"-Cynthia…what do you hope to find?" He asked.

Her smile faded and she looked through the glass as Ash entered the machine, lying flat on the cool piece of steel.

"I'm hoping we don't find anything." She said quietly. "But if we do…I'm just praying we'll be able to fix it."

The doctor nodded solemnly, falling silent as the procedure continued. Cynthia would have found the whole process boring if they had not received results after only ten minutes after the procedure had started.

"Miss- I mean, Cynthia, take a look at this." The doctor said, gesturing her over to the computer.

"What exactly am I looking at?" She asked as she strode over, staring at the screen.

"As you know, we are currently taking a scan of Mr. Ketchum's brain." He explained.

She nodded, encouraging him to continue. He complied.

"The outline of the skull is in black. Everything in green are the good parts of his brain, whereas orange and red are damaged or not functioning properly."

"So I assume this is where we reach the bad news?" She asked rhetorically, gesturing to a small, round area that was unmistakably red on Ash's brain.

The doctor nodded.

"It would seem so." He responded.

"So..what is it? A tumor? Brain damage?" Cynthia asked.

The doctor shook his head, holding his hand to his chin in thought.

"No…it's like nothing I've ever seen before." He muttered.

"That doesn't sound good…"

The doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking his mind.

"The red area is a perfect circle. No inconsistencies to be found. That's biologically impossible! Unless…"

"Unless what?" Cynthia asked quickly and a bit harshly, frustrated by the doctor's constant- and somewhat dramatic- pauses.

"Unless somebody got into his mind and tampered with it." The doctor responded finally, locking eyes with the Sinnoh Champion.

"It would seem Mr. Ketchum's assumption of his mind being controlled by an outside force may very well be true…"

Cynthia didn't need to hear anymore.

"Stop the procedure." She said firmly.

The doctor was about to argue and say it would be bad for the patient's health. One look at Cynthia, though, quickly changed his tune and he nodded. He pressed several other buttons, pulled a lever and the machine slowly whirred to a stop.

"What's going on?" Ash's confused voice could be heard. "Why are you stopping?"

"We found something." Cynthia immediately responded. "Ash, we think your guess was correct. At this point, it's safe to assume someone brainwashed you."

Silence. Cynthia tried again.

"Ash did you hear me?" She called out, wondering if something had interrupted their communication.

There was still no response. Suddenly, a hollow, cold laugh echoed through the transmission, sending shivers all throughout her body.

"You should have stopped when you had the chance, Shirona." An unfamiliar, deep voice spoke.

What disturbed Cynthia was not the voice, it was from where the voice originated: Ash. The theory that he was being mentally manipulated was now all but proven. Just when she had formed a response, chaos erupted in the procedure room. One of the walls suddenly exploded inward, sending pieces of the wall and shards of glass everywhere. Cynthia and the doctor ducked behind the shoulder-high wall that separated them from the blast, covering their heads and waiting for the smoke to clear. Cynthia dared glancing over the wall to see an all too familiar, bright orange, dragon like Pokemon hovering just outside the building.

"No…" She whispered to herself, barely registering what was happening as Ash leaped onto its back.

"You'll regret this, Cynthia!" The deep voice emanated from Ash once again.

"One way or another, I will seize power over this entire region! After that, the world! Then nobody will be able to stop me!" The voice cackled maniacally before Ash flew off, disappearing in a matter of seconds.

Cynthia was still in shock. It couldn't be… It didn't make any sense! How was it possible?! The dragon… she had seen it before…once…two years ago when a certain young trainer challenged her to a battle. He hadn't known who she was at the time, but that didn't matter. The Pokemon she had seen was undoubtedly Ash's Charizard.

"Cynthia? Cynthia!" The doctor called out, shaking her shoulders roughly.

"Huh? Wha-?" She asked, disoriented.

"Are you alright?"

Cynthia held her head in her hands, taking a moment to fully absorb what had just happened.

"Yeah, I- I'm fine, doctor." She replied as confidently as she could.

"What about-" She hesitated. "What about Ash?" She asked tentatively.

The doctor hung his head in shame.

"He's gone."

She knew what he was going to say and yet, somehow, she still couldn't believe it. They sat there in mournful silence, unsure of what could be done. Several minutes later, the police arrived and surrounded the scene with yellow caution tape. Nurse Joy had come along and she, too, expressed her concern for the Sinnoh Champion.

"Are you sure you're alright, Miss Shirona?" Nurse Joy asked.

"I'm fine." She responded hotly, gritting her teeth.

The nurse seemed taken aback for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, miss, I'm just doing my job."

Cynthia glanced over at her apologetically.

"I know… I'm sorry." She said softly.

The nurse smiled graciously at her and nodded.

"Oh, and thank you." Cynthia added before the nurse walked off.

She looked around at the chaos and sighed, running her hands through her hair. In all honesty, she should have expected retaliation. However, the first person she had expected was Lance. What had happened instead was…unbelievable. It just seemed so unreal. Yet here she was, receiving treatment for the cuts and bruises that had been inflicted during the very real attack. She sighed again. Where was she supposed to go from here? Suddenly, yet another unfamiliar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss Shirona?" A male voice asked.

She groaned and rubbed her eyes.

' _Why am I so popular today?'_ She thought tiredly.

"What?" She answered sharply, turning to see the newcomer.

He looked like a trainer; that much wasn't hard to see. However, he seemed just as old as her, maybe a little younger. Overall a very casual look that didn't fit in with the uniforms of the officers or the coats of the hospital staff. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He said pleasantly, holding out a hand and smiling at her. "My name is Scotty Vice."

She looked down at his hand, and despite not wanting to appear rude, she just stood up and nodded at him.

"Charmed." She said shortly before walking away.

The man seemed shocked for a moment before recovering and chasing after her.

"I heard about what happened. I'm sorry about your friend-"

"Okay, look." Cynthia cut in, interrupting him a bit harshly.

She took a moment to calm herself when she saw the look on his face- one of confusion- and responded more calmly.

"I've had a long- and rather disappointing- day, so unless you have something important to say to me, please just leave me alone." She said bluntly.

Scotty seemed to think for a moment before nodding.

"I know how to find Ash." He said quickly.

Cythia's eyes widened before they narrowed a moment later. She knew nothing about him and yet he seemed to know a handful of things about the situation. Maybe not more than herself, but he obviously seemed to believe his own statement. She wasn't sure if she did, but what other choice did she have at this point? She sighed again.

"You had my curiosity but now you have my attention." She said. "So…what's this about finding Ash?"


	9. Intuition

"So how exactly does this work?" Cynthia asked.

Her new acquaintance Scotty Vice had given her a way to find Ash. Well, it was actually more of a theory, but at this point she was willing to try anything.

"We're scanning for high-energy electrical usage." Scotty explained, gesturing to the machinery in front of them.

It was currently being operated by a group of scientists who had been working in the building during the attack. They were confused and a bit skeptical about Scotty at first, but Cynthia convinced them that- despite how he might look- he had great value to their cause. At least, she hoped so. She still didn't fully trust him.

"Okay…why?"

"This level of psychic control usually requires amplification. That being said, whoever is controlling Ash must be using some sort of complicated machinery to enhance their Psychic Pokemon's range and power."

"And that works?"

"Yes. I've seen it before."

She looked over at him incredulously.

"Really? You've seen this before?"

Scotty just glanced quickly at her before redirecting his attention to the screens.

"We should receive results in a few minutes. After that, we just track down the most likely spot in which our adversary is hiding."

"And where would that be, Mr. Smartypants?" Cynthia asked, a bit annoyed at how Scotty had suddenly taken charge.

He stared over at her for a moment, seemingly surprised, before he cleared his throat and responded.

"Most likely an abandoned electrical facility. Given the fact they could get it working again, they could use the power still present to fuel their project without worrying about interruption."

"So…what? Did Team Rocket get their hands on it?"

Scotty shook his head.

"Not likely. This isn't a full-scale criminal organization. My guess is that whoever this is personally knows Ash and wants to get revenge."

Cynthia uncrossed her arms and huffed, walking towards him with an annoyed expression.

"You're trying my patience, Vice. I want some real answers! Who is doing this and why?"

He hesitated.

"I…don't know that yet."

Cynthia scoffed.

"Of course you don't."

"Neither do you." Scotty retorted coolly.

Cynthia felt her rage bubbling up inside her and quickly forced herself to calm down. Something about Scotty really got under her skin…maybe it was the fact that he seemed to know exactly what to do. A bit too convenient if you asked her. What are the odds that some random trainer, unknown in all aspects of his life except his name, - and she wasn't even sure he was telling the truth about that- would show up out of the blue and provide her with the assistance she both wanted _**and**_ needed. Suffice to say, Cynthia was a little suspicious of him. Then again, what reason would he have to lie? What would he gain? He was already helping her find Ash. If he really _**did**_ have some ulterior motive or sinister plot involving Ash, he certainly wouldn't be _**helping**_ her. On the other hand…it could all be a ruse to take the suspicion off of himself. Although…if that had been the case, he wouldn't have revealed himself at all. He would have stayed hidden in the shadows. _**Unless**_ …he anticipated that response and acted accordingly, doing the one thing no one would ever think he _**would**_ do. Given the risk involved in that scenario, Cynthia doubted that he would actually go through with it…but that just proved her point. It was the perfect cover.

'What about Lance?' Her thoughts suddenly reminded her.

Of course! How could she forget? Lance had been less than pleasant for her entire visit. He hadn't let her or anyone else visit Ash without his permission. Why? Was he hiding something? Could _**he**_ be the culprit? _**He**_ may still hold a grudge against Ash. The boy did, after all, take the veteran's Champion status away from him. Lance was a man of honor, though, and she doubted he would stoop that low. Then again…she didn't know him that well. She knew him better than Scotty, at least, but in terms of emotional and mental stability, he could very well be behind this whole fiasco. He certainly had access to high level Psychic Pokemon. He had the motive, means, and opportunity. But still…to kill another human being? She didn't think he was capable of that. That's why she was so cautious about Scotty. Unlike Lance, he was a **_completely_** unknown element. And to some extent…that scared her.

"Cynthia?" A voice broke through her thoughts.

She jerked out of her reverie, noticing that a few minutes had passed while she had been stuck in her thoughts.

"What?" She asked, turning to the owner of the voice.

Scotty frowned for a moment before responding.

"Are you alright? You spaced out there for a minute."

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, brushing it off as well as she could. "What's up?"

Scotty hesitated for only a moment before gesturing to the screens.

"We have something. Three locations: Two are in Kanto and one is several hundred feet across the border in Johto."

Cynthia took on a serious expression.

"There, the one in Johto. That's the one we want." She said briskly, turning and walking away.

Scotty stood frozen for a moment, surprised, before chasing after her.

"Wait! How do you know?"

"Call it a woman's intuition."

Scotty just nodded and followed after her, brimming with curiosity but keeping his mouth shut. Unfortunately for them, it was not a short trip to their destination. Several hours later, they had arrived there by car, lugging all the equipment and scientists along with them.

"So this is the place?" Scotty asked as he stepped out of the vehicle.

Cynthia didn't respond as she strode towards the old, rusted doors.

"It doesn't look like much."

"You said yourself the place would probably be abandoned. You don't get much more abandoned than this place." Cynthia pointed out.

Scotty didn't respond, falling into step behind her as the scientists unloaded all the machinery. Cynthia reached for the door and pulled on the handle. It didn't budge. She tried again will both hands, pulling with all her strength.

"Locked." She growled.

"Or rusted shut." Scotty interjected.

"My Garchomp can rip through it as easily as paper." She said, pulling a Poke' Ball from her belt.

"Wait!" Scotty said, grabbing her arm.

Despite the death stare she sent his way, he didn't flinch away.

"We shouldn't just go in guns blazing. We need to have a plan of attack."

"I have a plan: Attack."

Scotty frowned before pulling a Poke' Ball off of his belt and releasing the Pokemon inside. A beautiful Gardevoir appeared.

" _How may I be of service, master?"_ A soft voice sounded in both of their heads.

Cynthia flinched slightly at the unexpected voice while Scotty responded.

"Em, I've told you. Don't call me master. It demeans you."

" _My apologies."_ She bowed slightly.

Scotty turned to Cynthia.

"She will protect us and our Pokemon from any mental attacks." He explained bluntly.

Cynthia nodded and released Garchomp from her ball.

The tall, intimidating dragon stretched for a moment before flexing her arms.

"Ready?" Scotty asked.

"Let's do this!"

Scotty gave the signal and Garchomp- true to Cynthia's word- broke through the doors as if they were made of paper. Scotty rushed in after Cynthia, prepared to fight if need be. His Gardevoir, whom he lovingly called Em, had already formed a ball of Psychic energy in her palm in case of an attack. However, no such assault came.

"Well, it looks like we came all this way for nothing." Cynthia said with a sigh.

"Em. Scan please." Scotty said quickly.

She obeyed immediately and closed her eyes for a moment.

" _There are no mental signatures."_ She replied quickly.

Scotty scowled.

" _But there are traces of current activity in this place."_ She continued.

Scotty perked up.

"How recent?" He asked.

" _A matter of hours."_

"So we just missed them." Cynthia said.

"That would seem to be the case." Scotty said, sighing as he pulled a flashlight from his belt. "Let's look around and see if we can find anything useful."

"Don't give me orders!" Cynthia retorted harshly, walking off in the opposite direction and supposedly ordering her Pokemon to search the premises.

Scotty sighed.

"Why doesn't she trust me, Em?"

" _She doesn't know you like I do."_ She portrayed her thoughts only inside his head.

Scotty smiled ruefully.

"You didn't like me at all when we first met. Do you remember?"

She hesitated and responded sadly.

" _Yes…I remember."_

"That was a dark time for you."

" _But it's over now. You rescued me."_

"Not by myself."

He gestured to the belt that held several other Poke balls.

"These guys have helped me a lot over the years."

" _I know you are very close with them."_

"And with you as well. You might be a bit newer to the team, but you're just as much a part of the family as the rest of us."

Scotty smiled.

Em returned it.

" _Thank you mas- er, I mean- Scotty."_

He chuckled.

"See if you can find anything in here. Alert me if you're in trouble or if it's important."

She nodded and floated away, leaving Scotty to stare in the direction which the Champion had gone. He briefly glanced at Garchomp, who was busy digging through some heavy rubble on the other side of the room, before he decided to follow her. It took him only a minute to find her. She was standing in front of a seemingly bare wall, but it was clear that something used to be hanging there.

"Find something?" He asked.

She jumped and whipped around, scowling at him.

"I would if you actually let me work." She said indignantly.

Scotty was silent for a moment before responding.

"Why are you so hostile towards me?"

Cynthia stared at him for a moment before sighing and crossing her arms.

"I don't trust you. It's as simple as that."

Scotty didn't move except for raising one eyebrow.

"That's all?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. That's all."

He shook his head.

"Whatever you say. Look…I didn't have to come to you with this. I could easily have gone to anyone else but I didn't. Why do you think I did that?"

Cynthia didn't have an answer.

"It's because I don't want Ash to lose what he has left. He's already lost too much already. I don't know him well and I don't know you well, but I do know I want to help however I can. You don't have to like it, but if you're truly his friend, you'd be doing something instead of sitting around griping and complaining about how awful it is to work with someone you don't know. It's your choice."

Scotty turned and walked away, leaving Cynthia stunned. The thing that stung the most was that she realized he was right. She may not like the situation she was in but she wasn't helping anyone by moping about it, especially not Ash. She would just have to get over it and improve her attitude. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Look at me, Sarah… I'm turning into mom." She whispered to herself with a chuckle.

"She didn't trust anyone either…should I really take a chance on him? What if I'm wrong?"

There was no response. She hadn't been expecting one but… She shook herself out of her reverie.

"Enough. I just need to focus on the job… saving Ash. The only question is how do I do that?"


	10. Truth

Despite their best efforts, neither Scotty nor Cynthia could find any substantial leads. Everything had been erased from the area. Not even Scotty's Gardevoir could get a lock on the mental signatures. It had been too long. However, it was not a complete waste of effort. They still had two locations to check. Perhaps the adversary had moved to one of those instead. Keeping that in mind, Cynthia took the driver's seat and Scotty took shotgun as they drove back to Kanto. Not a word was spoken throughout the whole trip, except some whisperings amongst the scientists. Cynthia had decided that if she couldn't say anything nice to Scotty, she wouldn't say anything at all. He didn't seem to mind. After they reached Pewter City, their base of operations and where Ash had previously been held, the scientists packed up their things and went their separate ways. At this point, the sun had set long ago and they were all in desperate need of rest. Cynthia had been put in charge of locking up after them. Despite her misgivings and obvious dislike for him, Scotty chose to accompany her as she worked even later into the night. He stayed silent as long as he could- until midnight- before he finally spoke.

"You know, when I said you should actually do something, I didn't mean you should work yourself to death."

Cynthia kept her eyes fixed on the screen, scanning through all the information they gathered, looking for anything they might have missed. Scotty sighed and sat down at the screen next to her, following her lead. He didn't catch the brief smirk she had on her face. Finally, it seemed, she was the one in charge.

"Is there anything specific you're searching for?"

She glanced over at him, pausing for a moment before sighing, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her eyes.

"Anything useful. Anything we could have missed." She said tiredly.

"We were there for a few hours, we checked everything."

"You don't know that. We _**could**_ have missed something!"

"Could being the objective word."

She sighed again.

"Well, what else do you want me to do? Give up?"

"No."

"Then what _**do**_ you want?" She turned fully towards him.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion and spun to face her.

"I don't know what you mean-"

"Don't play dumb with me." She interrupted coldly.

Scotty fell silent.

"Let's get one thing straight: I am suspicious of you. There, I said it. Out of all the candidates that could be responsible for Ash's…disappearance, you're at the top of the list."

Scotty didn't object. He just listened. Cynthia continued heatedly.

"What I want to know is your motive for helping me. What do you gain? You're obviously not friends with Ash and you don't know any of his friends. Come to think of it, how did you find out about this situation? How did you know to come to me?"

Perhaps she was just tired. Perhaps she was being irrational. Perhaps she just wanted all of this to be over. Whatever it was, she poured out all of her thoughts, doubts, and criticisms to Scotty, letting him know _**exactly**_ where she stood. After several minutes she finally stopped speaking, slumping into her chair in exhaustion. Scotty was silent for several long moments before responding.

"So you suspect me of committing this crime."

Cynthia nodded.

"Yes. I do."

Scotty frowned, although she couldn't see it.

"And nothing I say will change your mind?"

She shook her head.

"Not at the moment."

Scotty chuckled for a moment. Cynthia looked at him curiously.

"What's so funny?"

Scotty just shook his head.

"It's funny that you're so distrusting of me considering my profession."

Cynthia snorted.

"Profession? A trainer is hardly considered to be a profession. It's more of a hobby than anything."

"Look who's talking."

Cynthia fell silent for a moment and looked away.

"It's different for me."

"Is it?"

Scotty crossed his arms.

"I don't think it is."

Cynthia just grunted. Scotty sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"I suppose I'm a bit of a hypocrite." He stated.

Cynthia looked back over at him and raised an eyebrow. He didn't see her reaction but he continued anyway.

"I'm just as distrusting as you." He admitted.

"Is that right?" She was a bit skeptical.

Scotty smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Yeah… so I suppose the best option would be to trust you. That way, you can trust me. Does that sound fair?"

Cynthia thought for a moment and shrugged.

"You can do whatever you want. It won't change my mind."

Scotty smirked.

"We'll see."

He leaned back in his chair.

"My life story is a bit long and complicated, so try not to fall asleep on me."

"I make no promises."

Scotty chuckled, took a deep breath, and began his tale.

"I had a pretty good childhood. I grew up in the Johto region. My parents loved me, I had a twin brother I could mess around with, and overall it was a happy existence for all of us. As you've probably already guessed, there's always tragedy in these types of stories. Finally, the day came when both I and my brother turned ten years old. We were so excited! We made sure to get up super early, so we could have our pick of a starter Pokemon. I picked Cyndaquill and my brother picked Totodile. I assume some other kid who lived in our town picked Chikorita later that day but I wasn't paying attention.

Anyway, as we ran back home, eager to start our journey, I suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew something was wrong. I didn't know what, but I knew. I started running as fast as I could towards home. My brother shouted as he trailed behind…he never was as fast as me. Naturally, I reached home before he did. At first, everything seemed to be okay. Suddenly, an indistinct shadow flickered over me and my house spontaneously exploded. The blast sent me flying backwards and I tumbled to the ground. My ears were ringing and there was a searing pain in my right leg. As I opened my eyes, I discovered that a piece of wood had lodged itself there during the explosion. I started screaming. My brother arrived quickly after.

He hesitated for only a moment before shouting angrily and releasing his Totodile. He ordered his Pokemon relentlessly to quench the fire…but it was too young. The best it could manage was a small stream of water. My brother started screaming too, but this time at the Pokemon. In his pain and rage, he needed someone to blame. I could tell his Pokemon was deeply hurt by his new companion's rage but my brother didn't seem to care. Despite the burning wreckage and hot embers, he dove in among the wood and started digging. I tried to call out to him but my voice didn't work. Then, what was left of the house collapsed on top of him. That was the last I saw of him. I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg. I grabbed my brother's now abandoned Pokemon and carried him with me. I limped as quickly as I could back into town. I barely made it to the Pokemon center before passing out from the pain. I don't remember much of what happened after that."

Scotty took a moment to clear his throat, observing Cynthia's expression. She seemed almost indifferent to his story, but the slightest twitch of her mouth downwards told Scotty all he needed to know. He didn't hesitate any longer, continuing with his story.

"When I woke up, I was surrounded by people I didn't recognize. I almost freaked out before a nurse walked in and told everyone to leave. Apparently I asked a few questions… I don't remember saying anything, but I must have. I asked what happened, where my parents were, was my brother okay, what about Totodile? She answered as best she could but I could tell she was sparing my feelings. Deep in my heart, I knew they were probably all dead. My family, that is. It was at that exact moment that I made a promise to myself: that I would do everything within my power to make sure not another living thing suffered through the same thing I did. The Pokemon I captured would be my new family, starting with Cyndaquill and Totodile. I briefly pondered if I should return Totodile to the lab but quickly decided against it. My brother wouldn't want that. I didn't want that. So I took him with me. He didn't seem very fond of me at first, probably because I reminded him so much of my brother, but over time we became really good friends. We started our adventure a week or so after that, adding a new member to our team in a matter of days and taking on our first Gym Leader by the end of the month. I won. I got my first badge. I kept Totodile on me at all times. I didn't think he could handle the box. He was never the most energetic, but he fought when I asked him to.

Cyndaquill was almost completely oblivious to what had happened. I spared him the details. I didn't want to make things worse for any of us. That being said, I kept quiet about it and so did Totodile. Right up until the Elite Four. We were about to face the Champion. At this point, they had evolved into Typhlosion and Feraligatr…but despite their maturity, they still hadn't changed. At one point, when I had all my Pokemon out at once, Typhlosion confronted Feraligatr about it. I couldn't understand them, obviously, but it didn't sound friendly. At one point, they were so close to fighting that I had to step between them. I told them that they could save their fighting for after the battle and for now they needed to focus on defeating the Champion. Fortunately, they listened and we gained another victory that day. After it was all over, Feraligatr seemed…different somehow. I don't know what happened, but if I had to guess, I'd say he finally realized how far he had really come. And he was proud of himself. That night, he shared everything with Typhlosion."

Scotty paused for another moment, stretching in his chair and letting out a huge yawn. Cynthia didn't say anything as she looked on. She wasn't sure if she believed anything he was saying. He didn't necessarily have any reason to make all of this up but still…maybe she should be making an effort to connect with him. What harm could it do?

'A lot.' She thought to herself.

She grimaced. He apparently trusted her enough to tell her his life story. She wasn't sure she was ready to give him the same courtesy, but the least she could do was listen. Scotty resumed a moment later, picking up where he had left off.

"They got along much better after that. They shared a mutual understanding. If I'm correct, Typhlosion also told him about our situation that night. In any case, they were close friends. After that, we moved onto Hoenn, Kanto, Sinnoh, and Unova, conquering every league we came across and obtaining new friends and family along the way. I chose to avoid Kalos because almost immediately after winning the Unova League, I was contacted by a very strange man. He said that he had been watching me and that he thought I was one of the most elite trainers he had ever seen. I didn't recognize him but I said thank you and planned to go on my way. However, he offered me a proposition. He told me that there was a top secret organization in which only a select few were invited. The ten most powerful trainers in the world, or 'Ultimate Trainers', as he called them. At first, I thought it was a joke. After a quick battle with him, I was thoroughly convinced it was not. He wiped the floor with me! I was a bit surprised and none too happy but he had just been proving a point. After healing my Pokemon, I decided to accompany him to his base of operations.

I trained there for five years, learning everything I could. They didn't just teach me how to battle, they taught different fighting strategies and built endurance for both myself and my Pokemon. Slowly but surely, we got stronger and worked our way up through the ranks. I learned several different languages, multiple types of martial arts, how to tell if someone is lying and how to beat a lie detector, among other things. It was the most intense training I have ever received. Finally, I was ready. I had to select a team and fight the leader of the organization. I hadn't expected to win, but it was certainly a better fight than the last one. He didn't gloat in his victory. In fact, he stated that I was ready for the next level: Aura training… I asked him what that was. He was surprised I didn't already know, considering my own Aura was so strong. To make a long story somewhat shorter, he trained and taught me in the way of Aura for the next three years. After that, I was free to wander the world as I wished. They said they had no more to teach me. And that's how I ended up here in front of you on this very day."

Cynthia waited for a minute, confirming he had completely finished with his story.

"Forgive me for being skeptical, but your story is a little far fetched."

Scotty smiled.

"I thought you might say as much."

"Then why bother telling me at all?"

"Believe it or not, all of what I just told you is the truth. It was a show of trust to prove myself. However, I will not be offended if you do not offer me the same. Some things are better left unspoken."

Cynthia fell silent. She had so many questions…questions she wasn't even sure she wanted to ask. Should she open up to this stranger? He had, after all, opened up to her- that is, if she believed him. Again, why would he lie about that? It seemed sincere enough. She sighed. Her mind was a war zone of doubt, logic and emotions. She didn't know which she would listen to. So she listened to her gut.

"I'm not going to tell you." She said suddenly.

Scotty nodded, the smallest of frowns on his face.

"…But I do believe what you told me." She finished quietly, standing up from her chair and walking away.

Her mind was a maelstrom of thoughts. Her immediate reaction was to call up her friends and alert them about Scotty and her suspicions. After all, she was the only one who knew anything about him at the moment. She hadn't been completely truthful when she said she believed his story. She only believed parts of it. His childhood and early career as a trainer were easy to believe. The part about conquering every single Champion...was considerably less so. There was no possible way he could have hidden his existence or participation _**that**_ efficiently. Millions of people would have known about it, as it would have been broadcast all around the world. That was just one gap in his story. She wasn't sure he was telling the truth about the secret organization. He could have easily made that up in an attempt to get on her good side. However, she was aware of some elite trainers who traveled the world. They only traveled solo, however, never in groups. The only Aura user she knew existed was Riley and he was back in Sinnoh. Perhaps even she was not privy to such information.

After all, she had not known who Scotty was upon seeing him. And she couldn't exactly _**prove**_ he was lying. At this point, she just had to have faith. How trusting could she be, though? He was still practically a complete stranger. Despite the fact he claimed to share his life story, she was certain there were some things he didn't tell her. He had only told the truth as far as it went. And the question still remained: what were his true motives? He claimed they were personal, and although she didn't think he had been lying about that, she had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to it. There was something else. She just didn't know what it was yet. Perhaps it had to do with Ash. Perhaps it didn't. Either way, she would be keeping a close eye on him. She had been already, but now she would be more subtle and learn everything she could about Scotty. He didn't seem like the manipulative type or a killer...then again, neither did Lance. And both of them were at the top of Cynthia's suspect list. She sighed, wondering where Ash was and if he was even still alive.


	11. Discovery

Discovery

"So what you're saying is that you met some random guy- someone you have never met before in your life- who just showed up out of the blue with both the information you wanted _**and**_ the means to find Ash?!"

Cynthia sighed. As she had expected, none of her friends thought her story was very likely. The one who seemed the most hard to convince though- as she was currently discovering- was Gary Oak.

"Yes, Gary. For the millionth time yes!"

"I don't believe it."

Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose and took a seat nearby. She didn't know what she had expected. In hindsight, she probably should have expected this reaction. After all, she had reacted the same way.

"Look, believe it or not- I don't care which- I'm just telling you what I know."

"What you know isn't good enough! We're just expected to believe this?!"

"We don't really have much of a choice, Gary."

"I don't care! Anything would be better than this! Heck, I was better off _**not**_ knowing about this!"

Cynthia stood up suddenly, walking forward and standing nose-to-nose with the slightly taller brunette boy.

"It's the only possible lead that can help us! I was hoping you all would help me, but seeing as that's obviously not the case, I'm just wasting my time here!"

Cynthia whipped around and stormed off, grumbling to herself. Gary was left standing in shock as Misty brushed past him, shooting him a steely glare as she ran after Cynthia.

"Cynthia, wait!" Misty called out.

"I'm not in the mood, Misty! I've already dealt with enough crap today; I don't need yours too!"

Misty quickly caught up to the raging champion and laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks and turning her around. As Cynthia turned she saw that Misty had a concerned look on her face, mixed with no small amount of hurt in her eyes. Cynthia sighed heavily. Her last comment had been out of line and she knew it.

"I'm sorry… I just… I've been dealing with a lot these past few days."

"We all have."

Cynthia could hear the sympathy in the younger girl's voice. Cynthia clenched her fists. She didn't want anyone's sympathy. She didn't need it.

"I don't know what to believe. Part of me wants to latch on to whatever Scotty says because right now it's all we have. Another part of me doesn't want to believe him because I don't know him…so how can I trust him?"

Silence reigned for a few moments before Misty responded.

"Do you think he's a good guy?"

Cynthia eyes shot up to meet Misty's in confusion and shock.

"What?"

"Do you think he's a good guy?" Misty repeated.

Cynthia thought for a long moment. Did she? That was a very difficult question for her to answer. On one hand she wanted to believe that he was who he said he was: a simple trainer with a tragic past. On the other hand, she didn't believe him because it seemed too easy. It was too perfect. It couldn't be a coincidence. He _**had**_ to have some ulterior motive…or did he? She didn't know. He seemed honest enough and obviously cared about his Pokemon. But did he only care about their power? Or their well-being? It could go either way. Eventually, she answered the question.

"I don't know." She said quietly, defeated.

"All of these doubts keep swimming around in my head…did I make the right choice? I don't know. I _**can't**_ know. I either have to believe him or trust my own judgment… It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make."

Misty smiled.

"You mean harder than your decision to become a trainer?"

Cynthia cracked a smile and chuckled.

"I'd like to say it was a no-brainer but then I'd be lying."

"Your sister would be proud, you know."

Cynthia stiffened for a moment before relaxing with another sigh.

"I know. She's the reason I took up the trainer life in the first place."

"That's why I said it."

Cynthia glanced over at the younger girl with a thankful smile.

"You know, she used to be a really sensitive subject for me…but it's good to know that I can look back at it fondly now. That is, thanks to you."

Misty smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry about it. If you had never told me about it then we wouldn't be here now would we?"

Cynthia laughed for several moments before calming down enough to respond.

"I'm glad we're friends, Misty. I hope this is okay for me to say…but I think of you as my sister, too."

Misty blinked for a moment, obviously surprised, before she smiled widely.

"Wow, Cynthia…thank you."

Cynthia just shook her head.

"No need to thank me. Anyways, while I do love talking about this with you, back to the subject at hand." She said in a serious tone.

Misty's smile faded and she nodded.

"Scotty Vice."

Cynthia nodded and responded.

"What should we do about him?"

"Does anything _**need**_ to be done?"

Cynthia placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment.

"I suppose not. At least not right now."

"What about your concerns? I assume you're still cautious about him."

"Oh I am, but right now he's not doing anything to harm us. So until that point comes I'll just have to trust him."

"Are you sure?"

Cynthia sighed heavily and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. If he _**does**_ turn against me I'm pretty sure I can defend myself."

"Didn't you say that he defeated _**every single region Champion**_ though?"

Cynthia could hear the worry in her voice.

"Hm. I can confirm that later. Nonetheless, I'm strong enough to hold my own for at least a minute. That's all I need."

Misty sighed and shook her head. Sometimes Cynthia was overconfident in her abilities, which led to her taking unnecessary risks.

"Just be careful okay?"

Cynthia smirked.

"I only promise to try."

Misty rolled her eyes, walking beside the older woman as they walked back towards the group.

"So what do we tell Gary?"

"The same thing as before. Is he doesn't believe me that's his problem. I don't need his help."

"You shouldn't try to antagonize him."

"I'm not. He's just too stubborn to listen."

"Well, you're not wrong…but just try not to be so confrontational."

Cynthia didn't respond. After another minute they had arrived back at the main group. Brock was standing with his arms crossed while Gary was sitting in a chair, leaning back nonchalantly.

"Well, look who is back. Little miss rage-quit."

Cynthia consciously stifled the rage she felt bubbling up inside of her, instead deciding to smile sweetly at him.

"Well, look who stuck around. Mr. too-big-for-his-own-britches."

Gary just narrowed his eyes at her.

"Unless you plan on throwing insults around all day, I suggest you say what you came back here to say."

Cynthia took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm just asking you to listen."

Gary didn't respond. She took that as her cue to continue.

"As you all know, Ash escaped a few days ago. We don't know who's behind it or why they're doing it. The guy I told you about- Scotty Vice- claims that he knows how to find Ash. It's not much, but it's all we have. I am willing to trust him for the time being. If he ends up being wrong or turns against me, then I am more than willing to kick him to the curb. Until that time, however, he is our best asset."

She fell silent. Gary looked at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

"That's it?" He asked.

Cynthia nodded.

"That's it."

Gary sighed and stood up.

"Well, I don't have anything to lose."

He looked Cynthia in the eye and shrugged.

"Alright, I'm in, but I don't like it."

Cynthia let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Although she _**could**_ do this without Gary, he was an exceptional resource. Plus she needed all the help she could get.

"Thank you."

Gary just waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. So what's the plan?"

"Well, the first step would be meeting him."

"Alright. Where is he now?"

Cynthia thought for a moment.

"He's probably working back at the lab. He said something about searching for mental signatures."

Gary raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a real nutcase."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

"Nutcase or not, he's helping. Do you want to meet him or don't you?"

Gary just gestured with his arm in a random direction.

"Lead the way."

Cynthia nodded and was about to walk off before she realized something.

"Brock, you've been unusually quiet, do you have anything to say about this?"

Brock's head snapped up.

"What? Oh…sorry, I was just thinking about what you said."

"And?"

"If you trust Scotty, then I trust him."

Cynthia nodded.

"Good. We'll take my car back to the lab."

An hour later, they arrived at the aforementioned laboratory. The ride there had been mostly silent and the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Gary and Cynthia obviously still disliked each other but for now it seemed they were getting along. They walked through the mostly empty hallways, seeing a few scientists scrambling around every now and then. Cynthia led them to a pair of double doors and pushed her way through. The console in the room was functioning but the chair was empty. She looked around for a moment, confused.

"Where is he?" She asked herself.

Suddenly, an indistinct shadow flicked across the room and lunged towards them. Cynthia reacted as quickly as she could, reaching for her Poke balls. The shadow was on her before her hand got halfway there and she was sure the figure was about to strike but a familiar voice called out.

"Ty, stop!"

The figure instantly froze, one of its limbs inches from Cynthia's face. Fire erupted from the Pokemon's back, revealing it to be a Typhlosion. It seemed to look at her apologetically before sinking onto all fours, running back over to a still shadowed corner of the room. A brief flash of red was seen before Scotty stepped out of the shadows.

"Sorry about that. One can never be too careful."

Before Cynthia could say anything, Misty stepped forward with an enraged look on her face.

"You idiot! You could have gotten Cynthia killed!"

It was at this moment that Scotty realized Cynthia was not the only one in the room with him. He looked around at the unfamiliar faces before addressing Cynthia.

"I see you brought friends."

"That's right, she brought us." Gary said confidently, striding forward.

He stood hardly a foot away from Scotty. They were equal in height, so Gary's attempt at intimidation failed miserably. Scotty looked around Gary and once again addressed Cynthia.

"I assume this one is Gary?"

Angry at being dismissed in such an off-handed manner, Gary stepped closer and grabbed Scotty's shoulder.

"Hey, buddy! I'm right he-"

More out of instinct than purposefully, Scotty had already grabbed Gary's hand and wrenched it off his shoulder, twisting it around and holding it behind Gary's back. He then proceeded to push Gary forward and trip him, causing him to fall face first into the hard concrete floor. After Gary let out a groan of pain, Scotty realized what he had done.

"Oh…uh, sorry about that. Reflex."

"Your reflex is to attack people?!" He asked incredulously, hauling himself to his feet and rubbing his shoulder.

"My reflex is to defend myself." Scotty corrected.

Before Gary could say anything else or make it worse, Cynthia and the other two stepped forward.

"Sorry about him." Cynthia apologized, stepping past Gary and giving him a pointed look.

"He has a bit of a superiority complex."

Gary just narrowed his eyes and huffed at her comment. Scotty nodded at Cynthia before noticing the other two people he had yet to meet. He stepped towards Brock first.

"Hello there, my name is Scotty. You must be Brock." He said, holding out his hand for a handshake.

The slightly taller teen looked surprised for a moment and a bit apprehensive but eventually shook Scotty's hand. Scotty then turned to the redhead.

"That means you must be Misty. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Scotty."

Again, he held out his hand. Misty crossed her arms, nodded coolly at him and said nothing. After a moment, Scotty let his hand drop to his side.

"I see. You're still mad about what happened with Cynthia, aren't you?"

Misty didn't answer but she did look away.

"That's fine. I understand. None of you fully trust me yet. Cynthia told me to expect as much. It doesn't really matter. As long as you're here, I have something to show you all."

That being said, Scotty turned around and walked over to the screens. He didn't look back to see if they had followed him but he didn't need to. He knew that once Cynthia walked over they all would.

"For the last few hours, I've been searching for all of the places our adversary could be. It occurred to me that he may not have a base of operations but instead constantly moves around, making himself harder to pinpoint. That being said, once we find him then we find Ash."

Cynthia piped up at this.

"Are you sure?" She asked hopefully.

Scotty nodded.

"Yes, I am ninety five percent sure."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Ninety five percent?"

"It's possible, albeit highly unlikely, that Ash is out and about on his own. Whoever is controlling him would want Ash to stay as close to him as possible, except for, perhaps, quick missions."

"Missions? What do you mean?"

"Ash is being controlled. In all likelihood, his 'master' is giving him orders via mental manipulation. We do not yet know his end goal, but Ash is likely carrying out his dirty work."

Cynthia swallowed, afraid to ask a simple question.

"What kind of dirty work?" She choked out.

"It's hard to say, but if I had to guess-"Scotty stopped suddenly.

A thought occurred to him. He couldn't tell Ash's closest friends that he was killing people under the influence of some mastermind. No, he had to come up with something else.

"I would say he's capturing as many Pokemon as possible for them." Scotty said instead.

"Not the humane way, with a battle and a Poke' ball, but with nets, traps, cages, etc."

Cynthia knew he was lying, but she appreciated Scotty's sensitivity. Luckily, the other three didn't seem to notice.

"That's terrible!" Cynthia said, playing the part very convincingly.

Scotty smirked for half a second before his face reverted back to a neutral look.

"Despite his best efforts, I've managed to track our adversary. Although, I've found something strange…"

"What's that?"

"He's not near any abandoned facilities or anything like that. In fact, he's heading towards some rural area. One house in particular, I believe. Here, I'll pull up an image."

Cynthia looked up at the picture. Her stomach dropped and her heart felt as though it was made of ice.

"T-that's my house!" She said suddenly.

Everyone looked at her, confused.

"Don't you live in Sinnoh?" Scotty asked.

"Yes, I do, but that's my summer home! We need to get there! NOW!"

She whipped around and suddenly ran for the double doors, bursting through them and racing through the hallways, barely avoiding colliding with people. She didn't care that she was leaving everyone else behind, she needed to get to that house! Her whole life's work was there! Everything she had studied or discovered, multiple personal items such as family pictures and the like. Everything. She would _**not**_ let it get into the hands of her enemy. She managed to get to her car and started the engine, flooring the gas pedal and shooting out of the parking lot in reverse. She ignored the blaring horns and quickly shifted into drive, speeding off into the distance. Not moments later, she heard a strange sound on the roof of her car. It sounded like footsteps…she nearly veered off the road in surprise when she looked in her right-hand mirror. Scotty was on the outside of her car! She slammed on the brakes and pulled off to the side of the road.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She yelled as she opened her door, slamming it shut and walking around to the passenger side of her vehicle.

Besides the windblown hair, Scotty hardly looked ruffled. He stepped off the side of her vehicle and brushed off his clothes for a moment before responding.

"I'm coming with you." He stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can see that! What I meant was _**how**_ did you follow me?!"

"Well, first I ran after you when you went berserk and ran out of the lab. Then, when I followed you outside I saw you running towards your car. I managed to grab the passenger door before you took off but…I couldn't get in before you started driving. So I kind of just…held on for dear life."

Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"You know what, I'm not even mad. Get in and let's go."

Cynthia stomped back around to her side of the car, ignoring Scotty's admission of thanks, and barely let him strap in before she took off again.

"So why is this place so important?"

Cynthia sighed again. Since he was tagging along, he at least deserved to know _**why**_ she had reacted so violently.

"I'll tell you once we reach the highway." She said tiredly.

There was silence in the car for a moment before Scotty responded.

"I'm assuming this has something to do with discovering where our adversary is?"

Cynthia didn't respond. She merely nodded. If she didn't get there before he did… She didn't know what would happen. She just had an ominous feeling that it would not end well for anyone.


	12. Realization

Realization

Scotty hadn't needed much convincing. Since he was determined to tag along anyway, Cynthia supposed that it didn't really matter what she told him. Nevertheless, she told him the truth. Well, most of it. All she said was that they needed to get there before their adversary and that if they didn't… They might as well forget about finding Ash. That being said, Scotty was more than willing to help her. Of course, Cynthia felt a bit guilty about leaving her friends back at the lab. They were probably confused and worried, especially Misty. Cynthia sighed. Perhaps she had reacted a bit suddenly, but can you really blame her? Either way, she could worry about that later. She and Scotty arrived at her so-called summer home within the hour.

"How much time do we have?" She asked quickly, stepping out of the car and rushing towards the front door.

"Hard to say. If I had to guess, he'll be here in only a few minutes. We need to hurry."

Cynthia rolled her eyes as the key turned in the lock.

"Yes, I know."

She flicked on the lights and ran over to her computer, booting it up as quickly as she could.

"Come on…come on…LOAD!" She begged.

Scotty followed a bit more slowly, looking around in awe at all the news articles, notes, and theories attached to the walls.

"Wow…do you keep all of your information on these walls?"

Cynthia didn't answer. She kept her eyes fixed on the screen. She pulled up a file and shoved her USB drive into the computer. Just as she was about to hit 'transfer', the power went out. She let out a disbelieving yell as the screen faded to black. She clenched her hands into fists in anger, whipping around suddenly.

"WHO ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

A menacing laugh filled the darkness. Suddenly, Cynthia felt movement beside her and she saw a faint, red light. The room suddenly grew brighter as a familiar Typhlosion lit up the room with the flames on its back. Cynthia could see several shadowed figures around the edge of the room and hanging from the rafters. They were ready to attack at any moment. She slowly reached for the Poke balls on her belt.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Cynthia."

She froze. She knew that voice. It was deeper- colder- but deep inside, she knew who it belonged to. But it couldn't be him-!

"No…" She whispered.

A hooded man approached them, walking slowly and confidently towards them. Scotty took a breath, preparing to let his Pokemon know to attack.

"Wait! Don't!" Cynthia interrupted him, stepping in front of them and holding her arms out to her side.

Scotty faltered, looking at her in confusion. She didn't offer an explanation, simply turning back to the hooded man.

"I know who you are."

He stopped walking. He chuckled darkly and removed his hood. Cynthia felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized the spiky, black hair.

"Hello, Cynthia. Long time no see."

She tried to talk past the lump in her throat but all that came out was a slight whimper. He chuckled again.

"I really should thank you. If you hadn't taken Ash away from Lance, I might not have ever been able to get to him." He smiled sadistically.

Her eyes widened. No! That couldn't be true! She couldn't be responsible…could she? It made sense. Ash was certainly well guarded. She had taken him away from that. She thought she knew best. Clearly, she had been wrong.

"No." She gasped, dropping to her knees.

Scotty knelt beside her with a stunned expression. Once again, Ash laughed a dark laugh and snapped his fingers. The figures slowly started moving in on them. Scotty helped Cynthia to her feet and held up his hand in preparation. Typhlosion readied itself for the offensive.

"I wouldn't do that either." Ash said.

In the blink of an eye, he had pulled a gun from his waist and pointed it right at Cynthia's chest.

"You wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of the Sinnoh Champion, would you?"

Scotty hesitated and frowned, lowering his hand back to his side. Ash smirked.

"Good boy."

"This isn't who you are!" Cynthia said suddenly.

Ash sighed and shook his head, ignoring her words. She continued, pushing away from Scotty and taking a step forward.

"I know you! You would never hurt us! You would never harm ME! I'm your friend, Ash! Listen to me! You have to fight it! You're being controlled-"

 _ **BANG**_

Cynthia's eyes widened in shock and she swallowed. She reached up and felt the singed end of her hair with shaking hands. There was a murderous scowl on his face. Had they been looking close enough, they would have seen Ash's hands were shaking as well and he was sweating profusely.

"Th-that was a warning shot." He stuttered at first but quickly regained his composure.

"Do not anger me again!"

"Ash, please-!"

"QUIET!"

He strode forward the last few paces and put the barrel of the gun against her head. Cynthia tried to stay calm as she felt the eerily cold metal against her forehead. Was she going to die here?

"I could kill you. Right here. Right now."

Cynthia took a moment to breathe, swallowing thickly and steeling her nerves.

"Then do it. Prove to me you can do it." She said bravely.

Scotty hadn't said anything up until this point, but upon hearing Cynthia say that, it was the last straw.

"Cynthia, don't be stupid-"

She interrupted him with a raised hand, a silent order for him to come no further. He nodded begrudgingly and stepped back next to his Pokemon. The Typhlosion growled its obvious dislike of the situation.

"It's okay, Ty…" Scotty said quietly. "She'll be okay…we all will."

Ash stared straight back at Cynthia's steely gaze. It was a battle of will and Scotty didn't know who would win. Eventually, Ash smirked, laughed, and holstered his gun.

"You are braver than I gave you credit for, Cynthia, that much I will admit…but let's see how brave you after I kill all of your friends."

She lost composure at those final words, reaching out desperately towards him.

"No, please-!"

But he was gone. The other shadows in the room jumped between her and Ash, pushing her back but not dealing her any harm. She let out a yelp of surprise as she fell onto her back. There was a quick spark of light as one individual drove a sword through the computer and the console, effectively erasing all usefulness and data. Just when Scotty thought it was all over and that all of the figures had left, he caught sight of a small light at the end of the room. It looked like a match… His eyes widened.

"Cynthia-!"

He managed to yell and leapt on top of her. A split second after Typhlosion had leapt on top of both of them, the whole place spontaneously combusted. Scotty briefly wondered how he had not smelled the gasoline sooner. It didn't really matter. At this point, all he was worried about was their safety.

"TY! MAKE A PATH!" He yelled.

His Pokemon growled in understanding and stood on its hind legs, blasting a path through the fire with its Rollout attack.

"CYNTHIA, WE NEED TO MOVE!"

"NO!"

Scotty stared at her incredulously.

"THIS ISN'T UP FOR DEBATE! WE ARE LEAVING NOW!"

"WE CAN'T! NOT YET!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"I NEED TO GET SOMETHING!"

"THEN GET IT AND LET'S GO!"

She nodded and pushed herself to her feet. They dove and ran through the fire, inhaling more and more smoke by the second. She looked around desperately at the rapidly burning paper on the walls. The fire was effecting her vision. She hoped what she was looking for was still-

"THERE!" She had spotted it. "I NEED THAT!"

Scotty wasted no time. He took a running start and jumped as high as he could. Cynthia looked on in shock as he flew a good thirty feet off the ground, grabbing the group of papers with ease. He landed back on the ground with nothing but a grunt and handed the papers to Cynthia.

"Here you go!" He said cheekily before instantly becoming serious again.

"How did you-?!"

She was suddenly cut off as Scotty scooped her into his arms. She let out a yelp of indignation.

"No time to explain! I'll tell you later!"

And that's all the explanation she got before Scotty took off through the path his Typhlosion, which he had named Ty, had made. Her home was crumbling around them and it was all Cynthia could do not to cry. She didn't want to seem weak, especially not in front of him. They made it out in time, but just barely. Scotty had barely traveled ten feet before another blast launched them forward and sent them tumbling down the hillside. Cynthia tried her best to keep the papers clenched to her chest and she mostly succeeded. A couple came loose as she started coming to a stop but she knew she could retrieve them later.

 _ **CRACK**_

Cynthia let out an ear-splitting scream as her head connected sickeningly with a rock at the bottom of the hill. The papers tumbled from her grasp and spilled out in front of her as she lay on her stomach, barely conscious. She stayed that way for only a few moments. Her vision started to blur as she saw Scotty tumble to a stop next to her. She blinked and he was kneeling over her. His words were garbled and she couldn't understand him, but it sounded like he was worried. She barely realized she had been flipped onto her back as her eyes flitted closed. That last thing she saw was Scotty's face slowly lowering towards hers…


	13. Welcome to the Show

Cynthia awoke with a splitting headache and no memory of how she had come to rest in a hospital bed. That last thing she did remember was… She sat bolt upright and instantly let out a groan of pain, holding her head in both of her hands.

"This is the worst migraine I've ever had." She grumbled.

"You're lucky it wasn't the last." A male voice pointed out.

She recognized that voice. She uncovered her face and groaned once more upon seeing Scotty sitting in a chair off to the side of her bed. She laid back down and deliberately turned her head away.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was checking on my friend. I hope that's not an inconvenience for you."

She frowned. First of all, yes, it was. Second, she wasn't sure she would consider them friends just yet, even though he did save her life. And third…

"Where are Ash and the others?"

"Don't worry, they're waiting in the lobby. The doctors haven't told them you're awake yet."

She raised an eyebrow and looked back over at him.

"Then how did you get in here?"

He smiled enigmatically and shrugged.

"I think they assumed we were a couple, because several nurses lamented how terrible I must be feeling about the concussion my fiancée had received."

She blushed wildly and groaned once more. She wasn't even wearing a ring! She took a quick look at his hands. Neither was he!

"Why did they assume that?" She asked reluctantly.

He was silent for a moment, rubbing the back of his head and clearing his throat before speaking.

"They happened to show up while I was giving you CPR."

She stared at him incredulously.

"I had a head injury, not heart failure!" She yelled.

He held up his hands in a placating manner.

"That is true. But when I knelt over to check on you, you weren't breathing. I did the first thing that came to mind… I'm sorry if I crossed a line."

She was about to yell at him again before she thought better of it and metaphorically bit her tongue. He had just been trying to help, she couldn't be mad at him for that. Plus, if it weren't for him, she probably wouldn't be here right now. She let out a sigh and responded.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

He seemed stunned by her thanks but not at all displeased, as shown by the smile on his face.

"You're welcome." He said simply.

There was silence in the room for several long moments before Scotty heard commotion quickly approaching her room.

"Sounds like your friends are here."

"You should go."

His gaze snapped to her. She was staring resolutely at the far wall. Despite her words, she didn't want him to go. There was so much left unsaid. But it was highly likely that her friends would blame Scotty for this unfortunate turn of events. Only she knew he wasn't responsible and she wasn't entirely sure her friends would take her word for it.

"But-"

She cut off his argument before he could say another word.

"Go now! Before they see you!"

He hesitated for a moment but leapt into action when he heard the door handle turning. Cynthia pondered what his plan was when he jumped out the window but she smiled slightly as she saw him flying away on one of his Pokemon. She couldn't make out what it was. At any rate, she had another fish to fry. She put on a smile and turned to greet her friends as they poured into her room. She had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

 **Several hours later…**

She had finally been released from the hospital, after a tirade of questions from her friends, of course. Misty especially had taken some convincing but she had assured everyone she was just fine. Her point was proven by the fact that the doctors approved her release from the hospital. They also told her that as long as she didn't exert herself, she should be fine. At first, she had been a bit surprised and confused by her friends' worry. She understood they were concerned but not to the level with which she had been greeted. It was then she learned she had been unconscious for a full 24 hours. She would have to berate Scotty later for leaving out that tidbit of information. At the moment, however, she was considering her next move.

She had seen what Ash had become. It was clear he was being controlled. There were very few ways she could keep track of his whereabouts or where he planned to strike next. She had told her friends to go back to the lab and stay there until the whole ordeal had been dealt with. Of course, she had been met by indignation and refusals. They countered that they were safer with her than anywhere on the planet. She admired their courage and thanked them for their compliment, but in the end she convinced them that it wasn't safe for them anymore. She had the utmost confidence in them and she knew for a fact they could defend themselves. There was just one thing she couldn't bear to think about. What if what happened to Ash happened to them? She would never forgive herself. And that's what she told them. It was with great reluctance that they finally heeded her warnings and decided to stay on the safe side… For now. She wasn't sure how long they could or would stay cooped up in that place.

She sighed heavily as she stopped in front of her car, digging around for the keys. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she couldn't find them and she turned around to look for them. There they were, lying on the ground a few feet away.

 _That's odd._ She thought to herself, stepping forward and bending over to pick them up.

 _I didn't feel them slip out of my pocket-_

Her train of thought was instantly derailed as she spotted a small, yellow Pokemon at the edge of her vision. It looked tired, hungry, and almost completely hopeless, but it continued on resolutely. It limped towards her at a snail's pace with what seemed to be a trainer's belt in its mouth. Then it clicked. Cynthia rushed forward and gathered the Pokemon into her arms. It let out a weak cry before finally succumbing to unconsciousness as she cradled it in her arms. She recognized this Pokemon… But it couldn't be! He had been missing for weeks! There was no doubt in her mind, however, that the Pokemon in her arms was indeed Ash's Pikachu.

"I need a Nurse!" She cried loudly as she rushed back towards the hospital.

She just prayed it wasn't too late.

* * *

Cynthia didn't know if she should consider herself to be very lucky or very unlucky. At the moment, she would probably choose the former, because the resident Nurse managed to get all of Ash's Pokemon healed in a matter of minutes. Scotty had noticed her hurried entry and walked over to find out what was going on. He arrived next to her just as she got the belt back. He smiled slightly as he saw the Pikachu leap onto her shoulder and nuzzle her cheek affectionately.

"I take it those are Ash's Pokemon?" He asked, leaning against a nearby wall.

Cynthia briefly hesitated, wondering if she should tell him the truth. Eventually, she decided honesty was the best policy- at least when it came to this- and she responded in turn.

"Yes. When Ash was arrested, he didn't have any of his Pokemon on him. I had been wondering where they were up until this point." She explained.

"I'm surprised that Pikachu was smart enough to keep itself away from populated areas for so long. He must have known Ash was arrested wrongfully and that the same fate would befall him if he followed his trainer."

Cynthia nodded in understanding but there was one thing that was bothering her.

"But if Pikachu knew that, why reveal himself? I mean, why do it now and not earlier?"

"Maybe he was looking for someone."

Cynthia caught his pointed look and her eyes widened.

"You think he was looking for me?"

"It would make sense."

"But…why me and not Misty? Or Brock? Even Gary!"

Scotty shook his head and shrugged.

"Pokemon usually have a sense of who they can and cannot trust. You were either the closest option or the best option, as you are the one who can help Ash the most at this moment."

She mulled over his words. He was actually making some sense, which honestly surprised her in a way.

"I feel sorry for him." Scotty spoke again. "Pikachu, I mean. He's practically lost his trainer who knows how many times already."

Cynthia smiled briefly.

"That's Ash for you, always running headlong into danger."

She sat down and let out a sigh, scratching Pikachu behind his ear. She wanted to talk to someone about Ash… She didn't want to be alone in this any longer. She looked to Scotty as he sat down beside her. Could she really trust him? That was the question that had been plaguing her mind since the day they met. Could she really open up and be herself around him? She sighed again. Only one way to find out.

"When Ash was younger," she started, "he had a dream of becoming a Pokemon Master."

Starting was the hard part. She found it was incredibly easy to just keep on talking about him as she continued her story.

"He started his journey right here in Kanto, fighting his way to the Indigo League to see how far he could get. It wasn't easy, him being a rookie and all. He didn't manage to get as far as he would have liked… But he didn't let that deter him. He ventured to other regions, making new friends and meeting all sorts of Pokemon along the way. Through all of that, he still had the same goal in mind. I want to be a Pokemon Master!"

She paused and chuckled, shaking her head slightly.

"He was a great kid… He's suffered more defeats than I care to count but he's won just as many battles! Unfortunately, he was never able to reach his ultimate goal: becoming a master. After five years of traveling, he came back home to Kanto. I've only heard stories, but apparently Ash only told his mother where he was going and just disappeared. It was like he dropped off the face of the earth. Lo and behold, one year later, I hear his name all over the news! He had become the new Kanto Champion. That's why I came here in the first place, to congratulate him and… well, you know the rest."

"You didn't expect any of this to happen." Scotty said.

She shook her head.

"No one did. It was quite a shock for all of us, not to mention how Ash must have been feeling… Abandoned. Hopeless. Alone."

"Don't blame yourself. There's nothing you could have done."

She frowned.

"That's not true. If I had been here sooner, I could have stopped this whole ordeal from ever happening!"

"Oh? And how do you think you would have done that?"

She wracked her brain for an answer and silently cursed herself when she came up short.

"I would have thought of something." She said lamely.

Scotty was silent for several moments before he responded.

"You can't change the past. There are many who wish they can but it is impossible. That's why you shouldn't worry about it." He said calmly.

Cynthia glanced over at him with a look he couldn't quite decipher. He continued speaking.

"You need to focus on the here and now. On the present. Ash needs you. We all do. Stop wallowing in self-pity and do something for a change. You've proven you can make a difference so start making one. I'll be waiting outside when you've made your decision."

She stared down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap as her mind whirled with different thoughts. He was right. She wouldn't get anywhere by feeling sorry for herself. She shouldn't blame herself or hold herself responsible, either. Just like he said, there was nothing she could have done. So why worry? Her face adopted a determined look and she nodded to herself, standing upright rather abruptly and walking towards the exit. However, when her hand rested against the door, she hesitated. What if she couldn't do it? What if she wasn't strong enough? What if- despite her best efforts- Ash or any of her other friends were hurt or worse, killed, because she wasn't strong enough? Could she really take that risk? She let out a heavy sigh. She had dealt with loss before in the form of her younger sister. She had only told Misty about that day all those years ago… The fear still haunted her. The fear of losing those closest to her. She stared at her reflection in the glass door and angrily wiped away the single tear that had rolled down her cheek. She wasn't a little girl anymore! She wasn't powerless! She was the Sinnoh League Champion for crying out loud! She could do this! After all, with her friends by her side, she could accomplish anything. A large smile graced her features as she stepped out into the bright sunlight, ready to take on any obstacle that got in her way!

"We meet again, Miss Shirona."

She froze. The daylight faded into storm clouds, rippling with thunder and heavy with rain that had not yet fallen. She looked on in horror as her fears were suddenly realized. There in front of her stood the shell that used to be Ash, standing over the bound and gagged bodies of her friends: Gary, Misty, and Brock. Scotty was nowhere to be found. He smirked and let out sinister chuckle as lightning illuminated the scene.

"What a pleasure it is to have you join us… And welcome to the show!"


	14. The Calm Before

Hello everybody! Finally- after nearly half a year- I am resuming this story! Sorry to all those out there who wished to see more. :( I was so caught up with school and other stuff that I completely forgot about it! Now, I will admit the updates will be few and far between. If I can find the time, however, I WILL update this story and hopefully it will reach its conclusion very soon. :) So without further ado...

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Pokemon or the characters portrayed henceforth! (Except my OCs).

* * *

This was it. Everything was falling into place. At this very moment, she had to make a choice. She could sit idly by and leave her friends to the mercy of this maniac- this doppelganger of her good friend Ash- or she could take action and save them, as well as herself. She grimaced as she felt herself struggling with indecision. She was rooted to the spot, immobilized by fear. She couldn't fight and she couldn't flee. She could only stand there, helplessly, watching him smile sickeningly at her.

"A penny for your thoughts?" He asked coyly. "They must be riveting, judging by the look on your face."

She remained silent.

"So that's how you want to play this game, eh champion? Very well. What say you to a game of twenty questions? First I'll ask one, then you, and then… well, you get the picture."

She only narrowed her eyes in response. He clapped his hands together and grinned widely.

"Excellent! Let's begin. First question: what are you thinking right now? And remember, be honest!"

She had to physically restrain herself from lunging at him and tearing his throat out with her fingernails. Or maybe she didn't. She was still rooted in place- much to her ever growing rage- so she decided to humor him, if only to give her friends more time.

"I'm thinking that once my friends are out of danger, I'll be putting you away for a long time!" She hissed.

He clapped once more.

"See? That wasn't so bad! Now it's your turn, and please, do try to at least be interesting."

She narrowed her eyes once more and mulled over her thoughts before responding.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh ho ho! Getting right to the point I see! But it isn't a question of why… it's a question of why not!"

She doubted she would get anything else from the lunatic so she simply fell silent as he took his turn.

"Answer me this, Champion. Whatever happened to your dear little sister, hmm?"

Her blood ran cold and she started visibly shaking as her eyes widened.

"H-how do you know about t-that?"

He waved his index finger from side to side and shook his head.

"Ah ah ah! Wait your turn!"

Rage enveloped her immediately and she took a step forward. She instantly stopped as he pulled out a knife and held it against Misty's throat. His eyes were drained of all mirth and he was staring at her with a cold, unfeeling look.

"One more outburst like that and you'll be washing the blood out of your friend's clothes for weeks." He threatened.

She swallowed heavily and took a step back. His smile returned as he stood upright once more.

"Much better. Now where were we? Ah yes! Your sister. As I recall, she took a little tumble as a child. That sound about right, Champion?"

She remained silent but the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

"Yes, I thought so."

He suddenly stopped pacing and let out a huge sigh.

"I was hoping you would be more fun… but you're just boring me, Champion."

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and spun around.

"I know what will be fun! Let's play red light, green light… for keeps."

He once again knelt down and held the knife to Misty's throat.

"Here are the rules, Champion, so listen closely. I'm going to turn around, and when you hear me say 'green light', you may start moving. If I even THINK you've moved before you're supposed to, I'll slit the redhead's throat. Doesn't that sound like fun?!"

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" She shouted.

He stood upright and glared at her, responding with his own shout.

"If I'm the monster, then you are no doubt Frankenstein!"

She watched in horror as he suddenly and unexpectedly plunged the knife deep into Misty's stomach. There was a small gasp but nothing else as the red liquid drained quickly from her body. Cynthia could feel herself running towards them but it only looked as if she was getting further and further away.

 _No…_

Tears streamed from her eyes as she desperately tried to reach her friend, watching as Ash stabbed her repeatedly, laughing maniacally the whole time.

 _No!_

She was too late. She couldn't save them. She failed. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands uncontrollably. He worst fears had been realized.

 _NO!_

* * *

Silence. She was surrounded by darkness and silence.

"Cynthia…"

A voice called out to her. She couldn't make out who it was. Suddenly, a bright light entered her vision.

"Cynthia…?"

It was getting closer. She feebly reached out a hand towards the voice. A strong grip wrapped around her arm and suddenly pulled her back to reality. Everything was bright and loud and overwhelming. She almost wished to go back to wherever she had been before. She panicked for only a moment before the voice spoke again.

"Cynthia!"

Her gaze locked with that of one Scotty Vice. She immediately pushed away from him and looked around, desperately trying to locate- and possibly save- her other two friends.

"Where are they?!" She asked frantically.

"Where are who?" Scotty asked, clearly confused.

Her eyes snapped to him.

"YOU! Where did you go?!"

"I didn't go anywh-"

"YOU LEFT! You left when I needed you the most!"

"Cynthia, what are you-"

"So this is what I get when I trust you?! Well guess what! You just lost that privilege-"

"CYNTHIA!"

His outburst caught her off-guard and caused her to fall silent for a moment. She saw him take a deep breath and let it out before talking.

"I don't know what just happened or what's going on, but I do know you're disoriented. Let's just sit down and talk about this, okay?"

She felt herself nodding for a second before she quickly shook her head.

"No! My friends are in trouble! Misty! I have to-"

"Your friends aren't in trouble."

She looked shocked at his confident statement.

"H-how can you be sure?"

Another deep sigh.

"Because…I'm the one who showed you what you just experienced."

…

…

…

"What?" Pure disbelief dripped with that one, single word.

He crossed his arms and held her gaze, unflinching.

"I showed you your worst fears. Do you know why?"

She was still reeling from his previous statement so she could hardly understand anything that was being said. Rage was bubbling up inside her at the mere sight of him, dimming her senses and muffling his voice. She remained silent as the rage built.

"I did it to prepare you for when you eventually face that fear. In that vision, you were helpless and unable to do anything. I am here to tell you that you have the ability to power through it."

With that, her rage broke.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" She screamed.

She had long since thrown rational thought out the window. She was consumed by her emotions and she didn't plan to stop until she had let them all out.

"I trusted you and you betrayed me, just like he did! You made me trust you and then you stabbed me in the back!"

Hurt and pain were obvious in her eyes and voice as she sobbed out of control, tears flowing freely down her face. He remained mostly stoic, a small, sympathetic frown the only sign that he regretted his choice. It seemed he was willing to weather the storm.

"I can't believe you would do something like this… After everything I've been through! You of all people should know how fragile I am, especially now!"

And that's when it clicked. She wasn't mad at him. She was mad at herself. For being weak. For being unprepared. For feeling helpless. For everything. For Ash's troubles and his subsequent disappearance. For Lance's possible betrayal. For endangering her closest friends. The blame all fell on her. She dropped to the ground at this realization, her eyes wide. Even her sister's death…

"It's all my fault…" She gasped quietly.

She didn't look up as Scotty approached and knelt beside her. She didn't move or speak as he placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her. And then he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes widened considerably as she stared at him, wiping her tear-stained cheeks as confusion flowed through her. Why was he sorry?

"Don't blame yourself." He continued. "It's not your fault."

"But-" She tried to contradict him but he wouldn't let her.

He held up his hand, signaling for her to stop speaking, but he was smiling graciously at her.

"I may not have known you for very long, but I do know that when it comes to this sort of thing… You always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Alone. Without any help."

She bowed her head, slightly embarrassed. It was the truth.

"And you refrain from asking for help because you don't want anyone else to get hurt. Is that right?"

She found herself nodding at his speculation. He chuckled slightly and she looked back over at him. It was a weary smile he wore, containing only small amounts of the mirth she had seen before.

"I used to be just like you. I felt like I couldn't afford to let the world down. Then one day, I realized something. The people of this world don't believe in heroes or villains. They believe that saviors exist to erase any sort of chaos or evil. When the saviors don't do their job, the people become angry. What the people don't realize is that the saviors are human, too, and they feel emotions just like any other person would."

He gazed back at her and, seeing that he had her full attention, concluded his point.

"We're not saviors, Cynthia. We both know that. But the people think we are. It's not about what we think, it's about how they see us. The people won't truly be content or happy until the entire world is saved."

She was silent for several moments before she responded.

"Then how are we supposed to save the world?"

Scotty hesitated for a moment and that was all the answer she needed. He didn't know but he was willing to try. And that's exactly what he told her as he pulled her to her feet.

"I don't know, Cynthia. But we have to try, because no one else will."

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, nodding at him with renewed vigor. Suddenly, she remembered why she had been angry. Without warning, she slapped Scotty across the face.

"That's for scaring me." She said.

Though he was mildly shocked by her assault, he was exceedingly shocked by what she did next. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his afflicted cheek.

"And that's for everything else." She explained, smiling softly at him.

He didn't know what to say so he simply returned the smile and nodded.

"So…what do we do now?" She asked eventually, looking at the surrounding area.

It was odd to see how peaceful this place was, blissfully unaware of what was happening in the world. Scotty walked up beside her, deep in thought.

"We need to gather up your friends and have a chat with Lance."

Her gaze shifted to him, filled with surprise.

"Are you sure? That didn't exactly go down too well the last couple times."

"This time will be different. He may be stubborn, but even he can't look past the fact we're dealing with a bigger threat than we previously thought."

She paled slightly at this and flinched at the distant sound of thunder. She turned suddenly to examine the sky and saw that dark clouds were rapidly approaching. Strange, it wasn't supposed to rain today.

"A storm is coming." Scotty said quietly, his gaze hardened and his tone somber.

He stared resolutely at the approaching clouds and had a single thought in his mind.

' _If we can't withstand it, then all will be lost.'_


End file.
